


Stand by me

by Bl4ckHunter



Series: The Flash - Barry/Patty [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Adventure, Crime, F/M, Not a WestAllen fic, season 1 rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:02:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 100,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22389871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bl4ckHunter/pseuds/Bl4ckHunter
Summary: With Barry starting his path to become a hero, he also helps someone close to him to perceive new things differently.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Caitlin Snow & Cisco Ramon, Barry Allen & Joe West, Barry Allen/Patty Spivot
Series: The Flash - Barry/Patty [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665691
Comments: 18
Kudos: 38





	1. An ordinary day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Patty and Joe investigate a crime scene before the particle accelerator turns on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of a lot of plot bunnies I had been planning and I've wanted to try Barry/Patty more.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

It was another day for Detectives Joe West and Patty Spivot, the fresh graduate from academy as they and Captain David Singh saw the dead body outside the bank and Patty glared as she saw who was the suspect.

"Clyde Mardon." Patty sneered.

"Patty… easy." Joe said, holding her shoulder as Patty seethed, remembering that Clyde's brother mugged and murdered her father.

"Where's Allen?" Singh called out as Patty chuckled and on cue, Barry rushed in clumsily with his briefcase.

"CSI! CSI! Sorry I'm late, Captain Singh." Barry said.

"What was it this time, Mr. Allen?" Singh asked, annoyed. "Did you forget to set your alarm clock?" Barry was about to open his mouth as Singh continued. "Before you answer, I should remind you the excuse you gave last time was car trouble. Wanna remind why that one was particularly memorable?"

"I do not own a car." Barry said awkwardly as he flushed.

"It's my fault. I told him to run an errand for me." Patty said and Barry turned to her in surprise as she winked at him. "Barry. Did you get what I wanted you to?"

Barry nodded as he started to check his pockets. "Yeah. Yeah. I have it right… here." He pulled out a bar of chocolate. "I had… few bites of it."

Patty cleared her throat as she and Barry knelt down, examining the car tracks.

"I think the getaway car might be a Mustang." Patty noted.

"She's right." Barry said. "Shelby GT 500. Shelby's have rear super wide tires, specific to that model. 12 inches within. And there's something else."

"Wait, give me that." Patty picked a swab and took a sample from the ground and sniffed it. "Animal excrement."

"I think that should be Allen's expertise, not yours, Spivot." Singh noted dryly, although he didn't blame her for her enthusiasm.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"Barry, is it so hard to get a driver license?" Patty asked.

"I've been busy, I don't know what to tell you." Barry said and Patty shot him a look.

"How many times have we been over this? You were through a trauma. Your mind warped your memories." Patty said.

"I know what I saw, Patty." Barry said.

Patty sighed. Barry had believed that a mysterious man in yellow in a blur entered his house fourteen years ago and murdered his mother Nora and framed his father Henry for it, despite that Henry's fingerprints were found on the knife. He had been sentenced to life in Iron Heights and no one was able to convince Barry that he had been imagining it, not her, not his foster father Joe or psychiatrists.

Yet, she admired his enthusiasm and passion for science, just like her. She used to be a CSI, just like him but after her father's death, she got herself a field training with a gun and self-defense, becoming a detective, since she also wanted to chase down the Mardon brothers for mugging and killing her father but she still enjoyed helping Barry in the lab, whenever she had time.

"OK, I am ready to see this atom smasher smashing." Iris said, Joe's daughter and Barry's foster sister, with whom he had been growing up after his father's arrest.

"I know how much it means for you, so I'll cover for you, OK?" Patty said.

"Thanks." Barry said. "You're amazing."

Barry and Patty were a great team, whenever they worked together and whenever possible, despite that she had become a detective, she covered for him whenever she could.

"I don't think so. You're not done with the paperwork yet, Patty." Joe said upon entering.

"Hi, Dad." Iris said as the computer bleeped.

"The results." Patty said.

* * *

"I think the Mardon brothers are hiding on a farm." Barry explained. "The fecal matter I found on the street, it was cow manure, which contains traces of oxytetracyline."

"An antibiotic used in a specific area by the farmers." Patty explained. While she had not finished her studies as CSI because of her father's death, she was able to follow with most of Barry's explanations, unlike the rest of the detectives. "Any chances we might find that Shelby car there?"

"Here." Barry handed Joe the paper.

"Dad, seeing as how Barry solved the poop problem, how about letting him go to S.T.A.R. Labs?" Iris teased as Joe rolled his eyes.

"Fine, go." Joe said as Barry and Iris chuckled. Patty was about to pick her coat but Joe raised his hands. "Not you, Patty."

Patty stopped as she recognized the look in his eyes. "Joe. You need my help with finding Mardons—"

"I will handle it." Joe said.

"But—"

"No 'but', Patty. Singh insisted." Joe interrupted her as Barry and Iris recognized the tone he was talking with.

"Don't bother. When he talks like that, there's no way you're gonna win the argument." Barry said and Patty glowered as Joe left and Iris left too, deciding to wait as Barry turned to her. "I get you want to get Mardon, just like I want to find the man in yellow…" Patty shot him a look. "I'm just saying… Joe is trying to protect you."

Patty sighed and glowered. "Fine. Then I guess I'll spend the evening with paperwork."

* * *

Patty was at her desk, filing before she heard thunder and 'crash' above her head as she rushed up into Barry's lab.

"Barry. Barry!" Patty called out but as she entered, she gasped in shock as she saw Barry unconscious on the floor, the ceiling window broken as it rained into his lab.

"Barry!" Patty exclaimed, nearing him and measuring his pulse. She tried CPR for a few minutes before she panicked. "Help! I need a medic! Help!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think? Is it good? Is it bad? Should I continue?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


	2. Waking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry wakes up nine months later after his coma as he discovers his new powers and gets some shocking news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

**_Nine months later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"What are you doing?"

"He likes this song."

Barry slowly opened his eyes to hear Lady Gaga's Poker Face as in front of him was a Latino man eating chips and a brunette woman.

"How could you possibly know that?" The woman demanded.

"I checked his Facebook page. I mean, he can hear everything, right?" The man said.

"Auditory functions are the last sensory faculties to degenerate." The woman said.

The young man approached his phone as Barry came to, shooting up from the bed as he gasped.

"Where am I?" Barry demanded.

"He's up." The woman said as Barry's heart monitor started to beep like Christmas tree.

"Dr. Wells, get down to the Cortex, like, right now." The Latino man called out over the radio.

The woman shined a flashlight on Barry's eyes. "Pulse 120, pupils equally reactive to light. Look at me."

"Hey, hey, whoa, whoa, relax." The man tried to assure him, holding Barry by his arms. "Everything's OK, man, you're at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"S.T.A.R. Labs? Who are you?" Barry demanded.

"I'm Cisco Ramon. She's Caitlin. Dr. Snow." They introduced themselves.

"I need you to urinate in this." Caitlin showed Barry a plastic cup.

"Not this second." Cisco intervened, snatching the cups from Caitlin's hands.

"What… what is happening?" Barry demanded, confused. "What is going on?"

"You were struck by lightning, dude." Cisco explained as Barry turned around to face the camera on the monitor, confused by his physique.

"What? Lightning… gave me abs?" Barry asked.

"Your muscles should be atrophied but instead they're in a chronic and unexplained state of cellular regeneration." Caitlin explained, holding Barry by his arms.

"Come here. Have a seat." Cisco said as he held Barry, who sat down. "You were in a coma."

"For how long?" Barry asked.

"Nine months."

Barry turned around and saw a man around 50 years old on a wheelchair with glasses that he recognized.

"Welcome back, Mr. Allen. We have a lot to discuss." Dr. Harrison Wells said.

* * *

"It's hard to believe I'm here." Barry said, walking down the corridor with Wells, who was on his wheelchair. "I have always wanted to meet you face to face."

"Yeah? Well, you certainly went to great lengths to do it." Wells deadpanned as he accompanied Barry to the now destroyed particle accelerator. "S.T.A.R. Labs has not been operational since FEMA categorized us as a Class 4 hazardous location. Seventeen people died that night. Many more were injured. Myself amongst them."

"Jeez. What happened?" Barry wondered.

"Nine months ago, the particle accelerator went online exactly as planned. For 45 minutes, I had achieved my life's dream." Wells explained. "And then... Then there was an anomaly. The electron volts became unmeasurable, the ring under us popped. Energy from that detonation was thrown into the sky and that, in turn, seeded a storm cloud..."

"…that created a lightning bolt that struck me." Barry deduced.

"That's right." Wells confirmed. "I was recovering myself, when I heard about you. The hospital was undergoing unexplainable power outages every time you were going into cardiac arrest, which was actually a misdiagnosis because, you see, you weren't flatlining, Barry. Your heartbeat was moving too fast for the EKG to register it.

Now, I'm not the most popular person in town these days, but Detective West and his daughter gave me permission to bring you here, where we were able to stabilize you."

"Iris?" Barry asked.

"Iris, yes." Wells nodded. "She came to see you quite often."

"She talks a lot." Caitlin said as she was handing Wells a can of soda.

"Also, she's hot." Cisco added.

"I need to go." Barry said, about to leave.

"No, you can't." Caitlin protested.

"No, no. No, Caitlin's right." Wells agreed. "No, now that you're awake, we need to do more tests. You're still going through changes. There's so much that we don't know."

"I'm fine. Really, I feel normal." Barry said. "Thank you for saving my life."

He left as they all stared.

"Really?" Caitlin asked incredulously as Wells sighed.

After a moment, Barry returned in a bit awkward manner. "Can I keep the sweatshirt?"

"Yeah, keep the sweatshirt." Wells said.

"OK." Barry said as he left.

* * *

_**CCPD** _

Patty was doing paperwork at her desk before she noticed a hand touching her papers as she glanced up and stared in disbelief.

"Hi." Barry smiled.

"Oh, my God…" Patty breathed out as she got up slowly and then touched Barry's face, just to be sure she was not imagining it as her eyes got wet. "Is it you?"

"It's me, Patty." Barry said.

Patty laughed as she hugged him tightly and he returned the hug. "Oh, God, I can't believe this!"

A moment later, Joe and Iris saw him, staring in shock.

"Barry?" Iris gasped.

"Barr…" Joe trailed off as Barry turned to them.

"Hi, Joe. Iris." Barry said. Both Wests laughed as they hugged Barry too, alongside some other officers later.

"Oh, you scared the hell out of us, kid." Joe said.

"Yeah, that was quite the nap you took there, baby face, and you still look twelve." Another officer joked.

"Why didn't S.T.A.R. Labs call us?" Iris demanded.

"I just woke up." Barry explained.

"Should you even be on your feet?" Iris demanded.

"I'm… I'm OK." Barry assured them.

"We watched you die, Barry." Iris said. "You kept dying. Your heart kept stopping."

"It's still beating." Barry said but then for a moment, everything was going in slow motion as Barry looked around before he saw Singh staring in disbelief.

"Allen?" Singh whispered, not believing his own eyes before chuckling as he hugged Barry. "Welcome back, kiddo."

"Barry, you sure you're fine?" Patty asked.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"Detective West, we've got a 5-15 in progress at Gold City Bank, two dead." One of the officers said. "Storm's really picking up on the south side. I'd grab your rain gear."

"I'm sorry, Barry. I gotta run." Joe said, as he picked up his jacket.

"Do you need my help?" Barry asked.

"No, you take it easy. There'll be plenty for you to do once you settle in." Joe said as he and Eddie left.

"Hey, Allen. Glad to see you." Eddie told Barry.

"Thanks, Eddie." Barry said.

"Hey, Iris." Eddie said as he turned to her.

"Detective, you should go. My dad doesn't like to be kept waiting." Iris said.

"Glad you're back." Eddie said, patting Barry before he saw the memorial photo of Joe's late partner Chyre.

"The night of the explosion, Clyde Mardon shot and killed Chyre." Iris explained.

"Both of them died, when the particle accelerator went off. Their plane crashed." Patty explained. "Good riddance." She said as Barry knew how angry she still was over Mark Mardon murdering her father.

One of the detectives called out for Iris as Patty turned to Barry. "I'm glad you're back." She turned around as Barry saw a criminal, who had just been arrested, trying to take an officer's gun. As if everything was going in slow motion, Barry slammed him to the desk and disarmed him before getting back as a gust of wind blew the papers away.

"Did you feel that?" Patty wondered.

"Feel what?" Barry asked.

"Strange. It was as if a gust of wind passed by." Patty mused as Barry stared, confused. "Are you OK, Barry?"

"I… I just need some air. I'll see you later, OK?" Barry said and Patty nodded, giving him a confused look as he left outside.

"OK…" Patty said.

* * *

Barry went into an alley as he saw his hand vibrate. "What's happening to me?"

Barry tried to leave but he suddenly moved at superspeed few feet away as he stopped himself. Barry turned around but in a second he crashed into a cruiser as he smashed the rear window. Barry got up and panted out before he sped away, screaming as he was running at incredibly abnormal speed before he crashed into a pile of bags of laundry in a laundry van.

"Awesome." Barry said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	3. Becoming a hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry learns to master his speed as he stops Clyde Mardon, who had gained new powers as Patty and Joe reel from a stunning revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

**_Ferris Air_ **

Wells, Cisco, Caitlin and Barry were at the runway, preparing the equipment.

"You don't really believe he can run that fast, do you?" Caitlin questioned.

"Well, I believe anything is possible, and in a few minutes, maybe you will too." Wells said.

"How does it fit?" Cisco asked as Barry went out with protective helmet, glasses and unitard with some device to monitor his vitals.

"It's a little snug." Barry said.

"At least you will be moving so fast, no one will see you." Cisco said as he accompanied Barry to the runway. "See, you thought the world was slowing down. It wasn't. You were moving so fast it only looked like everyone else was standing still." He gestured to Caitlin and Wells, who were preparing the computers. "Dr. Wells will be monitoring your energy output and Caitlin, your vitals."

"What do you do?" Barry asked Cisco.

"I make the toys, my man. Check it." Cisco showed Barry a metal emblem shaped as lightning in black circle. "This is a two-way headset with a camera I modified. Typically designed to combat battlefield impulse noise, or in your case, potential sonic booms, which would be awesome."

Caitlin approached Barry with a tablet, calibrating the suit.

"What?" Caitlin asked as Barry stared at her.

"Nothing." Barry said. "Just that you don't smile too much."

Caitlin adjusted her hair. "My once promising career in bio-engineering is over. My boss is confined to wheelchair for life." She turned to Wells. "The explosion that put you in a coma, also killed my fiancé. So, this blank expression kind of feels like a way to let go."

"Mr. Allen, while I am extremely eager to determine your full range of abilities, I do caution restraint." Wells advised.

Barry nodded. "Yeah." He prepared to run as Cisco was recording him, while Wells put on his glasses. The start of his run was at so high speed that the following gust of wind blew away some papers on Caitlin's desk and knocked Cisco down on the ground as Cisco laughed and Caitlin stared.

"He just passed 200 miles per hour." Cisco said as Caitlin was observing Barry through the goggles.

"It's not possible." Caitlin said, disbelieving as Wells seemed to smile.

Barry kept on running, until a memory deep in his mind resurfaced, getting a sense of Deja vu.

* * *

_**Fourteen years ago** _

_"Mom!" Barry cried out as his mother Nora Allen was surrounded by red and yellow blurs._

_"Barry!" Nora cried out as Barry was unable to get past the blur. "Don't let him touch you!"_

_Suddenly, Barry saw a man in yellow suit in the blur._

* * *

**_Present, Ferris Air_ **

Suddenly, Barry crashed into some water barrels as he groaned in pain, his wrist broken as he was clutching it.

* * *

_**CCPD** _

Patty and Eddie were interviewing one of the witnesses of the robbery at Central City Gold Bank.

"Sky went black and then, boom!" The witness said. "Outside was inside. It was like there was a thunderstorm in the bank."

"Vukuvich." Joe said as he was examining the footage and the rest turned to him. "Suspect is driving a black Mustang. Partial plate 6-Kilo-Charlie-3. Put out an APB."

"Copy that." Officer Vukuvich said as he left.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Caitlin showed Barry an X-Ray scan of his arm. "It looks like you had a distal radius fracture."

" _Had_?" Barry repeated.

"It's healed. In three hours." Caitlin explained.

"How is that even possible?" Barry demanded, not understanding.

"We don't know. Yet." Caitlin said.

"You really need to know how to stop." Cisco said as he entered with Wells.

"What happened out there today?" Wells asked. "You were moving pretty well and then something caused you to lose focus."

"I started remembering something." Barry said, clutching his hand as everyone listened to him. "When I was 11, my mother was murdered. It was late. The sound woke me up. I came downstairs... and I saw what looked like a ball of lightning. Inside the lightning..." He took a breath, reliving it as Wells put down his glasses for a moment before putting them back. "...there was a man. He killed my Mom. They arrested my Dad. He's still sitting in Iron Heights for her murder. Everyone, the cops, the shrinks, they all told me what I saw was impossible. But what if the man who killed my Mom was like me?"

"Well, I think I can say unequivocally, you are one of a kind." Wells said as Barry nodded.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

"So, now that you're awake, what did you miss the most? The films, the lab work, ice cream? Whatever you want, Barry." Patty offered.

Barry stopped when he saw Eddie and Iris in the café.

"Oh." Patty said.

"Did you know about this?" Barry asked.

"I… might have seen them once or twice." Patty said, dragging him away before either Eddie or Iris would notice them.

"Why didn't you tell Joe?" Barry asked. "His daughter dating his partner—"

"Look… I know, Barry. But it's not like it's my place to tell. I don't like lying to Joe as much as you do but—"

"How did it happen?" Barry asked.

"Eddie covered for Joe at work, so that they could visit you with Iris. I saw them going out for coffee once or twice." Patty said before they heard sirens and Patty's radio went off.

" _All units, a car in Engelwood is running at high speed._ "

"That's right here." Patty realized.

Suddenly, a car drove by, about to run Barry and Patty down as he pushed her away. Patty then felt a gust of wind as she saw Barry run off as she looked around to see that Barry had vanished.

"Barry?" Patty called out.

Barry chased the car and entered through the window at the passenger seat as he saw Clyde Mardon driving. Barry grabbed the wheel as the car flipped over and crashed.

Both Barry and Mardon went out as Barry glared at Mardon, who was walking away.

"Hey! Mardon!" Barry yelled.

Mardon turned around and glared before he raised his hands and summoned some fog that surrounded Barry and then he turned around to see that another car crashed into Mardon's. Barry dodged and stared to see that Mardon had escaped.

* * *

Later, the EMTs were taking care of the scene.

"That poor man." Iris said as the medics put the dead body on the stretcher. "The way that fog came in, I have never seen anything like it."

"Barry! Patty! Iris." Joe said as he neared them.

"I'm alright, Dad." Iris assured him as Joe started scolding her.

"Barry, can I talk to you for a minute?" Patty asked as she dragged him aside.

"What is it?" Barry asked.

"What the hell happened? One second you push me out of the way, the next one you disappear before I can even blink." Patty said.

"I went to call Singh." Barry lied but Patty saw right through him.

"I looked everywhere for you, you were nowhere to be found." Patty snapped.

"Patty…" Barry sighed before turning to Joe. "Joe—"

"It can wait."

"No, now." Barry said as Joe neared them. "I know who did this. It's Clyde Mardon." Both Patty and Joe shot him incredulous looks. "I know, everybody thinks he died in a plane crash after the S.T.A.R. Labs explosion, but he's alive. Something happened to him that night. I... I think he can control the weather. The recent robberies, they all happened during freak meteorological events. And when I just confronted Mardon, the street was instantly enveloped in fog."

Joe just looked at Barry sadly while Patty was not sure what to believe as Barry snorted. "Of course you don't believe me. You never believe me."

"OK, you want to do this now? Out here? Fine. Mardon is dead." Joe snapped. "There is no controlling the weather, Barry. Just like there was no lightning storm in your house that night. It was your brain helping a scared little boy accept what he saw.

"My dad did not—"

"Yes, he did! Your dad killed your mother, Barry. I am sorry, son." Joe said hurtfully. "I knew it, the jury knew it. He's paying for what he did."

"Joe!" Patty snapped.

"Dad, enough!" Iris exploded as she neared him.

"Iris." Joe stopped her as he pointed at Barry. "I've done my best to take care of you since that night. I've never asked for anything in return. Not even a thank-you. But what I do ask now is that you for once in your life see things as they are."

Barry sighed, looking sad as he walked away before Eddie neared Joe and Patty, showing them a sketch.

"We got the eyewitness sketch of the robber from the bank job. If I didn't know better, I'd say that's Clyde Mardon. But that's impossible. He's dead, right?"

Patty stared and considered. If Mardon really was alive, would that mean… Making up her mind, she rushed towards Barry.

"Barry!" Patty called out as he turned around.

"Patty, I—"

"Barry. Are you sure it was Mardon?" Patty asked and Barry hesitated. "Please." She asked with an imploring look.

"I know what I saw." Barry said.

"Barry. I need to know everything. And I mean, "everything". From the beginning." Patty said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry and Patty entered as she glared at Wells.

"Your particle accelerator gave people powers, did it?" Patty demanded.

"Detective Spivot." Wells said politely.

"What… what is she doing here?" Cisco asked, him and Caitlin being nervous.

"Something fishy is going on in this town and I need some answers." Patty said. "And I saw what Barry did earlier afternoon."

"You know?" Caitlin asked, all of them surprised.

"Yeah. And I think you owe all of us some answers." Patty nodded. "Or I might consider arresting you all for withholding information."

"I wasn't the only one affected by the particle accelerator explosion, was I?" Barry demanded.

Wells hesitated before confirming. "We don't know for sure."

"You said the city was safe, that there was no residual danger." Barry snapped. "But that's not true. So, what really happened that night?"

Wells, Cisco and Caitlin looked at each other awkwardly.

"Well, the accelerator went active." Wells said as he turned to Barry and Patty as he showed them on a screen the simulation. "We all felt like heroes, and then it all went wrong. The dimensional barrier ruptured, unleashing unknown energies into our world. Antimatter, dark energy, X-elements—"

"Those are all theoretical." Barry protested.

"And how theoretical are you?" Wells pointed out. "We mapped the dispersion throughout and around Central City though we have no way of knowing exactly what or who was exposed. We've been searching for other metahumans like yourself."

" _Metahumans_?" Patty repeated.

"That's what we are calling them." Caitlin explained.

"I saw one today. He's a bank robber. He can control the weather." Barry said.

"This just keeps getting cooler." Cisco said, smiling.

"This isn't cool, Cisco. A man died today." Patty snapped as Caitlin and Cisco stared in shock.

"Mardon must have gotten his powers the same way I did, from the storm cloud. He's still out there!" Barry snapped. "We have to stop him before he hurts anyone else."

"Let Detective West and Spivot and the police handle it." Wells said.

"And how are we supposed to stop a man, who can control the weather?" Patty pointed out.

"You're responsible for this. For him." Barry pointed out as they glared at Wells.

"What's important is you!" Wells snapped. "Not me. I lost everything. I lost my company. I lost my reputation. I lost my freedom. And then you broke your arm, and it healed in three hours. Inside your body could be a map to a whole new world. Genetic therapies, vaccines, medicines, treasures buried deep within your cells. And we cannot risk losing everything because you want to go out and play hero." Barry looked saddened as Patty glared. "You're not a hero. You're just a young man who was struck by lightning."

* * *

"We need to tell Joe." Patty said.

"He's not gonna believe us. Either of us." Barry said.

"Then what are we going to do?" Patty asked.

" _We_?" Barry repeated.

Patty sighed. "I know I haven't always been there for you, when you needed me. But seeing what's happened… it made me wonder… your Dad… he is innocent, is he? You really saw something that night, when your Mom died."

Barry nodded as she looked sad.

"Barry… I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe you." Patty said as she felt ashamed.

"I… I need some space now." Barry said, speeding off, running to the one person he could turn to.

* * *

**_Later, Starling City_ **

Barry was on the rooftop, talking with Oliver Queen, also known as Starling City's archer vigilante, the Arrow as he filled Oliver in.

"So that's my story. I've spent my whole life searching for the impossible. Never imagining that I would become the impossible." Barry said.

"So why come to me?" Oliver wondered. "Something tells me you didn't just run 600 miles to say hi to a friend."

"All my life I've wanted... to just do more. Be more." Barry said. "Be more. And now I am. And the first chance I get to help someone, I screw up. What if Wells is right? What if I'm not a hero? What if I'm just some guy who was struck by lightning?"

"I don't think that bolt of lightning struck you, Barry. I think it chose you." Oliver said.

"I'm just not sure I'm like you, Oliver." Barry protested. "I don't know if I can be some vigilante."

"You can be better." Oliver said. "Because you can inspire people... in a way that I never could. Watching over your city like a guardian angel. Making a difference, saving people… in a flash." He turned around, putting on his mask before facing Barry one more time. "Take your own advice. Wear a mask."

Oliver jumped down and fired an arrow as he rappelled up on the rooftop of the opposite building as Barry stared.

"Cool." Barry said.

Oliver was hanging on the wall as he saw Barry run off. "Cool." Oliver said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Unexplained deaths and missing people in the past nine months. Quite a lot." Patty said, showing Cisco and Caitlin the boxes.

"Your metahumans have been busy." Barry said, much to Caitlin's and Cisco's surprise. "I'm not blaming you. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. I know you all lost something. But we need your help to catch Mardon and anyone else out there like him. But we can't do it without you."

Barry turned to Patty, knowing what the Mardons did to her. "We need to stop him. Can you do that?"

Patty sighed. She felt some solace that Mark Mardon was gone. She didn't want Clyde dead but she didn't want to let him hurt more people either. "I'm not going to be trigger-happy to take him down. Don't worry." She turned to Caitlin and Cisco, who looked at each other.

"If we're gonna do this, I have something that might help." Cisco said as he showed them what seemed to be a red spandex suit. "Something I've been playing with. It's designed to replace the turnouts firefighters traditionally wear. I thought if S.T.A.R. Labs did something nice, maybe people wouldn't be so angry at Dr. Wells."

"How is it going to help me?" Barry asked.

"It's made of a reinforced tri-polymer. It's heat and abrasive resistant to withstand your moving at high-velocity speeds. The aerodynamic design should help you maintain control. Plus, it has built-in sensors, so we can track your vitals and stay in contact with you from here." Cisco explained.

"Thanks." Barry said.

"How do we find Mardon?" Patty asked.

"I re-tasked S.T.A.R. Labs' satellite to track meteorological abnormalities." Caitlin said as she was at the computer. "We just got a ping. Atmospheric pressure dropped 20 millibars in a matter of seconds."

"He's in an abandoned farm west of the city." Patty said, checking her phone.

"How do you know that?" Barry asked.

"Because that's where Joe and Eddie are right now and where the Mardons hid out the last time." Patty said.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Joe and Eddie were trying to apprehend Mardon but Mardon knocked Eddie out with his powers before he created a tornado, as Joe stared in disbelief before dragging Eddie out as he saw debris flying. One of the pieces of debris was flying towards him before a red streak knocked it back.

Joe stared in disbelief as he saw a man in red spandex suit wearing a breathing mask.

Patty drove in as she went out.

"Joe! Joe, are you OK?" Patty called out.

"Patty, what the hell are you doing here?" Joe demanded.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Patty ordered, picking up Eddie.

"What… what is that…" Joe pointed at the man in the suit.

"No time, we need to go!" Patty ordered as she helped Eddie up and left with Joe into her car.

Barry put down his mask as Cisco called out. "Barry. Barry, this thing's getting closer. Wind speeds are 200 miles per hour and increasing. Barry, can you hear me?"

"Yeah. Loud and clear." Barry said.

"If it keeps up, this could become an F-5 tornado." Cisco said.

"And it's headed towards the city. How do I stop it? Guys?" Barry called out before he got an idea. "What if I unravel it?"

"How are you gonna do that?" Caitlin demanded.

"I'll run around it in the opposite direction. Cut off its legs." Barry said.

"He'd have to clock 700 miles per hour to do that." Cisco noted.

"Your body may not be able to handle those speeds. You'll die." Caitlin pointed out.

"I have to try." Barry said as Joe and Patty stared.

Barry sped around the tornado as Cisco and Caitlin were monitoring his vitals.

"Ha, ha. Suit's holding up." Cisco said.

"But he's not." Caitlin protested.

"He can do it. I know he can do it." Cisco said.

Barry sped around the tornado before he was knocked down. "It's too strong."

"You can do this, Barry." Wells called out, much to Cisco's, Caitlin's and Barry's surprise. "You were right. I am responsible for all of this. So many people have been hurt because of me. When I looked at you, all I saw was another potential victim of my hubris. And yes, I created this madness. But you, Barry, you can stop it. You can do this. Now run, Barry. Run!"

Barry got up, speeding around the tornado as Mardon roared before the tornado stopped.

"Barry?" Caitlin called out as Barry was knocked down.

"Hey." Barry turned around to face Mardon, who was aiming a gun at him. "I didn't think there was anyone else like me." Mardon said.

"I'm not like you. You're a murderer." Barry sneered.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out as Barry turned around to face Patty and Joe, holding guns as Mardon fell down, dead.

"Barry?" Caitlin called out.

"It's over." Barry said as Joe and Patty neared him, Joe staring in disbelief as he fell on his knees, eyes getting wet as he felt guilty, realizing Barry had been right about his father's innocence the whole time.

* * *

Later in the morning, the EMTs and police were clearing out the site as Joe was at Barry's and Patty's side at his car.

"What you can do… it was the lightning bolt?" Joe asked.

"More or less." Barry nodded.

"I'm sorry, Barry. I'm sorry I didn't believe you." Joe said, feeling guilty.

"Same." Patty nodded.

"And I called you crazy for chasing the impossible. But you really did see something that night your mom died. And your dad is innocent." Joe realized as he turned to Barry and Patty. "I need you to promise me something. Both of you. I don't want you telling Iris about anything you can do. Any of it. I want her safe. Promise me."

"Sure." Patty nodded.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

* * *

**_Later, Iron Heights_ **

Barry came to visit his father Henry as they were in the visitor booth, picking their phones.

"Hey. Slugger." Henry said.

"You've been calling me that since I was 11. Funny thing is I finally got into a fight today." Barry said.

"You just got out of a coma, I'm not sure you should be picking fights." Henry said. "Hey. Did you win?"

"Yeah, I did." Barry said as both of them chuckled. "You didn't kill Mom. You know I know that, right?" He said with tears in his eyes and voice breaking.

"You believing me is all I need." Henry assured him.

"You won't be in here much longer." Barry promised. "Whoever killed Mom, whatever killed her, I think I finally have a way to find them, to stop them."

"Barry, we've talked about this. It's time to let it go. You've got to stop worrying about me and live your life." Henry said.

"For the first time, I feel like I finally can." Barry said truthfully. "The truth is, since the night Mom died, I've been stuck in one place, missed out on a lot of things. But I'm different now. I made some new friends. They're helping me find my way. To finally move forward.

You remember when you wanted me to change my name, so I wouldn't have to deal with people knowing you're my dad? I'm glad they know. I'm so proud to be your son." Barry said emotionally as his voice broke.

"I love you, son." Henry smiled.

"I love you too, Dad." Barry said as they both touched the glass, wishing they could feel the palm of the hands of the other.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells entered a hidden room in S.T.A.R. Labs as he, surprisingly got up from the wheelchair and touched a pedestal as it glowed, revealing a news article headlined " _FLASH MISSING: VANISHES IN CRISIS_ ", dated April 25, 2024, written by Iris West-Allen.

Wells smirked in satisfaction as he turned around, not noticing that Iris's name had vanished and changed into Julie Greer's for a moment as the hologram faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I've considered whether Patty wouldn't know Barry's secret for a while until a little later but I think Patty is one of the few people smart enough to put it together anyway.
> 
> Well, Thawne isn't going to be happy later, huh?
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	4. Multiplex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off a man, who can replicate, while realizing his weakness and having self-doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry, with Cisco's assistance, had helped stop an arson in an apartment complex before Caitlin called out but suddenly he felt dizzy and tired for a moment before he returned to S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Have you both lost your minds? Who do you think you are?" Caitlin demanded angrily.

"Well, I'm the eyes and ears, and he's the feet." Cisco said.

"This isn't funny. You could have gotten yourself killed. You can't be running around the city like some supersonic fireman." Caitlin snapped.

"Why not? This is what we talked about. Me using my speed to do good." Barry protested.

"We talked about you helping us contain other people, who might have been affected by the particle accelerator explosion. Metahumans. And asides from Clyde Mardon, we haven't found any." Caitlin shot back.

"People in the city still need help." Barry said and Caitlin sighed in frustration. "And I can help them."

" _We_ can help them." Cisco corrected.

"Will you please say something?" Caitlin turned to Wells.

"I think what Caitlin is saying, in her own spectacularly angry way, is we're just beginning to understand what your body is capable of." Wells said. "Not to sound like a broken record, Mr. Allen, I do caution restraint."

"Dr. Wells, I doubt restraint is how you got to be the man you are today." Barry said.

"In a wheelchair and a pariah. Lack of restraint is what made me these things." Wells pointed out, seeming bitter at becoming a cripple. Know your limits."

Caitlin faced Barry, glaring as Wells drove off. "Don't expect me to patch you up every time you break something." Caitlin glared.

"Hey, uh, anything happened out there today?" Cisco asked, dragging Barry aside. "The sensors in the suit were kicking back weird telemetry. Your vitals spiked for a few seconds."

"Never felt better." Barry said.

Cisco nodded before handing Barry's his phone as it went off and he answered the call.

"Hey, Joe, everything all right?" Barry said.

" _Great. I got a fresh crime scene, a dead body, detectives interviewing witnesses. Yellow tape stretched over everything. I'm missing one thing. Can you guess what that is?_ " Joe deadpanned.

"I'll be right there." Barry hung up. "My day job beckons."

He sped off as Wells, Caitlin and Cisco stared.

"When do you think he'll realize he didn't take his clothes?" Wells said.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

After "borrowing" some clothes from a nearby shop, Barry entered the crime scene, nearing Patty, Joe and Singh.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Barry said.

"Doing a little Fall shopping, Mr. Allen?" Singh pointed out, as he, Joe and Patty noticed the price tag on Barry's jacket.

"Oh, heh, I was going so fast this morning, I didn't even notice." Barry said awkwardly as Patty did "hmpf."

Eddie showed Joe, Singh and Patty the footage on the tablet. "I downloaded surveillance footage off the video camera. Looks like only one perp."

"Footage may only show one, but it was six guys." Barry said as he was examining the footprints as the detectives and captain stared at him. "Look, the tracks. They're all crossing each other. Six sets of footprints. Six guns stolen. We should be looking for a crew." He then took a closer look, frowning. "Huh. Weird. The shoes. Looks like they're all the same size. Men's 10s, I'd guess. Just like you, captain." Barry turned to Singh. "Not that you're a suspect, sir."

The detectives shook their heads in annoyance.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"You may be the fastest man alive but you're still a dummy." Patty said as they were processing the evidence.

"I'm dealing with a lot right now, Patty." Barry said and she sighed.

"I know. It's just that… promise me you'll be careful. You almost died trying to stop Mardon." Patty said before Barry's phone rang and he answered the call.

"Hey, Iris. A suit?" Barry then sighed. "Crap, I forgot. Simon Stagg and your article, it's all coming back to me now. Yeah, I'll find a suit quickly." He hung up as he turned to Patty. "Patty, I'm sorry I'm putting this on your plate again but—"

Patty sighed. "Yeah. Fine."

* * *

_**Later, Stagg Industries** _

Barry and Iris watched Stagg receiving the prize and saying his speech as they applauded before Barry and Iris walked down the hall.

"OK, alright, first things first. Simon Stagg's work in cellular cloning has led to huge advancements in organ replacement." Barry said as Iris picked two glasses of champagne.

"Are journalists allowed to drink on the job?" Iris asked before Barry put down the glasses.

"OK, if you are bored, wait until we get to the science behind cellular regeneration." Barry said.

"I have missed this, Barry. We haven't spent time together since you woke up from the coma." Iris said.

"Yeah, I've had a crazy few weeks. I know." Barry said.

"How are things between you and Patty at work?" Iris asked.

"What do you mean? We're good." Barry said.

"Is that it? You're good?" Iris raised her brows and Barry flushed. "Come on, I've seen how you two keeping looking at each other but neither of you would make a move."

"I… have no idea what you're talking about." Barry denied.

"Barry, she likes you. A lot. Not as a friend. I can tell. She visited you quite often when you were out, maybe even more than me or that other blonde woman. What was her name? Fe…"

"Felicity." Barry said and Iris remembered.

"Yeah, her." Iris nodded before noticing Stagg. "Oh. Oh. Mr. Stagg, I was wondering if I could get a quote from you." She called out to Stagg.

"Not now, miss." Stagg said as he left.

"I'll just make something up." Iris said before turning to Barry. "So, what were you gonna tell me? You were about to say something."

Barry was about to open his mouth, when gunshots rang out and people panicked as masked men entered with guns.

"Quiet down, all of you! Quiet!" The man yelled as Iris held Barry's arm, terrified as the thief eyed them. "How considerate. You're all wearing your finest jewelry. Almost like you knew we were coming to rob you. Now everybody line up."

The people got in line, handing the thieves their valuables into bags. Barry was about to intervene as Iris held him.

"Don't." Iris said.

"Freeze!" A guard yelled, nearing the thieves, aiming a gun at them. "Drop your weapons."

The thieves fired as Barry in superspeed tackled the guard out of the way and into the hallway. Barry ran into an alley was about to chase the van into which the thieves entered but suddenly, in an alley, he fell down, feeling exhausted as he passed out.

* * *

"Barry. Barry. Barry." Iris shook him as Barry came to in the alley "I turned around and you were gone. What happened? Are you OK?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I went after them to try to get the plates. I fainted." Barry said.

* * *

Joe, Patty and Eddie were interviewing the witnesses as Joe and Patty eyed Barry.

"Where were you?" Joe asked.

"Dad, go easy." Iris said.

"Fainted? Are you OK, Barry?" Patty asked, concerned.

"You want me to get you a paramedic, Allen?" Eddie offered.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks, Eddie." Barry said.

"I thought I was dead. I saw the gun go off and then boom. Suddenly, I'm outside. I have no idea how I got there." The guard said.

"Let me talk to you for a second." Joe said as Patty and Barry followed him.

"Yeah." Barry said.

"You chased those gunmen?" Joe asked.

"Was it the same people who broke into the gun shop earlier today?" Patty deduced and Barry nodded.

"What were you going to do, when you caught them, huh?" Joe questioned. "Ask them nicely to pull over? You're not bulletproof. Wait, are you?"

"No." Barry said.

"OK. No more heroics." Joe said. "Chasing bad guys is not your job. It's ours. You're not a cop. Promise me."

"Joe, come on. You saw what happened last week with Mardon. What if there are more people like him, out there and we can't stop them?" Patty protested.

"Patty, don't." Barry turned to her before turning to Joe. "Promise."

"And you know Iris is not stupid. Start making better excuses than 'I fainted.'" Joe cautioned.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry was in the Cortex as Cisco and Caitlin were checking in on him.

"You lied to us." Caitlin said. "How could you not tell us you're experiencing dizzy spells? We're your doctors. God knows what's going on inside your body. Your cells are in a constant state of flux. You could be experiencing cardiopulmonary failure, or a transient ischemic attack."

Barry looked confused as he turned to Wells.

"Mini-stroke. Probably not." Wells explained.

"You, of all people, should know that in science, we share. We do not keep secrets." Caitlin said firmly as she waltzed off.

"Wow, I haven't seen anyone make her that angry since Ronnie." Cisco noted as he left.

"Ronnie was Caitlin's fiancé?" Barry asked as he turned to Wells. "The one that died the night of the accelerator explosion?"

"Yeah, he is missed." Wells nodded. "Now, let's figure out why this is happening to you."

* * *

Cisco prepared a pile of boxes. "We're all set. A little padding. Just in case."

"Yeah." Barry nodded before getting on the treadmill. "You sure about this, Cisco?"

"Most home treadmills have a maximum speed of about 12 miles per hour. This one has been Cisco-ed. Trust me, it can handle your speed." Cisco said.

"OK." Barry said as he started running on the treadmill, while Wells, Caitlin and Cisco were monitoring his vitals.

"Heart rate, blood pressure, nerve conduction all normal." Caitlin said.

"For Barry." Wells noted.

"Brainwave function within standard limits." Caitlin said.

"Told you the treadmill could take it." Cisco chuckled.

"Caitlin, look at the glucose levels." Wells said as he and Caitlin looked closely.

"Oh, my God. Of course." Caitlin sighed.

"Right?"

"It was so obvious."

"Glucose. Barry, we think we know why you keep..." Suddenly, Barry fainted as he crashed into the boxes. "…passing out." Wells finished awkwardly.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

"Patty, have you seen Barry?" Joe asked as he neared her at her desk.

"He's not here?" Patty asked before it hit them both.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry came to on a stretcher as he noticed that he had been attached to an IV. "I passed out again?"

"Total metabolic failure brought on by acute hypoglycemia." Caitlin explained as she and Cisco helped Barry get up.

"I'm not eating enough." Barry realized. "So an IV bag and I'm good to go."

"Try forty." Wells said, while drinking as Barry noticed the pile of IV bags on the stand. "Guess you were thirsty."

"We're gonna need to fashion you a diet based on your metabolic changes." Caitlin said.

"I've done a few calculations. You need to consume an amount equal to roughly 850 tacos. Unless we're talking cheese and guac, which is like a whole other set of equations." Cisco said.

"For Mexican, I recommend Tito's on Bruckner Avenue." Joe said as he entered with Patty. "Best burrito in the city."

"Detective West, Detective Spivot, what brings you to S.T.A.R. Labs?" Wells asked.

"When I couldn't find you at your lab, I started doing a little research." Joe said.

"And I kind of… had to tell him. Sorry." Patty said nervously.

"Turns out, there's been reports of a red streak around the city. Stopping muggers. Rescuing people from burning buildings." Joe said, glaring.

"You... didn't tell him we were working together?" Wells asked, turning to Barry.

"Joe, I can explain." Barry said.

"You already have a job in law enforcement, Barry. I suggest you get back to it." Joe said.

"Uh-huh." Caitlin nodded as he turned to her. "Don't look at me. I'm on your side."

"Detective, we all want what's best for Barry." Wells said.

"If you wanted what was best for Barry, you'd talk him out of this, instead of encouraging him going out there risking his life." Joe snapped.

"Joe, how are we supposed to stop a guy controlling weather?" Patty pointed out. "Look, I may not like this anymore than you do but Barry seems to be the only person capable of stopping people like Clyde Mardon."

"Since the accelerator explosion, we suspect there may more like him." Barry supplied.

"And you're gonna do what? Catch them? Are you insane?" Joe demanded, crossing his arms. "You think because you can run real fast that you're invincible? You're not. You're just a kid. My kid."

"I'm not your kid, Joe." Barry shot back as he got up. "And you're not my father. My father is sitting in Iron Heights. Wrongfully convicted. You were wrong about him. And you're wrong about this. Now, I may not be able to help him but if I can save someone from a burning building or stop some armed thieves, I'm gonna do it. And you can't stop me. So don't try."

"You think you're so smart. All of you." Joe said, eying them all. "But you don't know what you don't know. And I hope that you're clever enough to figure it out before somebody gets killed."

* * *

_**The next day, CCPD** _

"Barry." Patty called out as she entered with Joe into Barry's lab.

"Come to yell at me again?" Barry sighed in frustration.

"Simon Stagg's head of security was murdered last night. The coroner took some skin samples. Hopefully they belong to the killer. See if you can find a match." Joe ordered, handing Barry a sample. "Can't be a coincidence Stagg's benefit was attacked. Going to interview Stagg now."

"I'll come with you." Barry said.

"Your job is in here. Stay in here and do it." Joe said, leaving as Iris entered.

"I'll help." Patty said.

"Hi, Dad. Hi, Patty." Iris said.

"Hey." Patty said.

"Hey, baby." Joe said. "Gotta go."

"Why is my dad mad at you?" Iris demanded.

"Things got a bit more complicated than we had thought." Patty explained.

"Why are you mad at me?" Barry asked.

"You were supposed to meet me at Jitters to give me scientific background for my article." Iris reminded.

"And I didn't show up." Barry groaned, remembering.

"It's not his fault, we got a lot on our plate last night." Patty said.

"What exactly?" Iris asked.

"Well…" Barry sighed, trying to come up with an excuse before the computer bleeped and they looked at the results. "That's impossible. There was a murder."

"These skin cells belong to the murderer, but these are naive." Patty explained "Stem cells. Basically, they can copy and become any cell the body needs. They only come from babies."

"This means your killer is what, a newborn?" Iris wondered.

* * *

_**Stagg Industries** _

Joe and Eddie were interviewing Simon Stagg as they realized that the most likely suspect was Danton Black, a former employee, who sued Stagg until a group of thieves who had entered the gala last night, started to shoot at Stagg as they took cover.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

"Captain, what's going on?" Barry asked as Singh and the detectives were gearing up.

"Not now, Barry. An armed gunman's shooting up Stagg Industries." Singh said.

"Joe's there." Patty realized before turning to Barry, who nodded as he approached his locker and picked his suit.

* * *

**_Stagg Industries_ **

Eddie helped Stagg run as the thief put down his mask, revealing the face of Danton Black and Joe stared as he saw Black replicate himself. Joe took cover as the Blacks fired at him before Barry sped in and disarmed them.

"Go." Barry ordered.

"No." Joe protested but Barry sped him out before facing Black's duplicates.

"Whoever you are, give yourself up."

"Sorry. We're not going anywhere."

"Until Simon Stagg is dead." The duplicates said in unison.

Barry engaged the duplicates but there were too many of them to take on as they started beating him up. They aimed their guns at Barry, who sped out, again feeling exhausted.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Sorry. The abrasions are already rapidly healing." Caitlin said, tending to Barry's wounds.

"Yeah, I got my ass handed to me." Barry said.

"You got blood on my suit." Cisco noted, examining his suit.

"I think some of it belongs to him. Another not-so-friendly metahuman." Barry said as Wells analyzed the DNA and pulled out a profile.

"Danton Black." Wells said. "A bio-geneticist. Specialized in therapeutic cloning. Growing new organs to replace failing ones."

"Apparently, Stagg stole his research and then fired him." Caitlin said.

"I saw Black create duplicates from his own body." Barry said.

"That's pretty ironic. The guy specialized in cloning." Cisco noted. "And now he can make Xeroxes of himself."

"If he was experimenting on himself, when exposed to the dark matter wave released by the accelerator explosion..." Wells said.

"Meet Captain Clone." Cisco joked as they all stared at him and he felt awkward. "Don't worry. I'll come up with something cooler.

"Where are you going?" Caitlin asked as Barry was about to leave.

"Joe was right. I'm in way over my head. Yeah, I'm fast, but I am no warrior. I could barely fight one metahuman, let alone six." Barry said.

"Barry, I understand. Today was a setback. But any grand enterprise has them. And we can never learn to fly without crashing a few times."

"This wasn't a grand enterprise, Dr. Wells. This was a mistake." Barry said as he left.

* * *

_**CC Jitters** _

" _Detective, was the gunman apprehended?_ " The reporter asked Eddie on TV.

" _The shooter's whereabouts are unknown at this time. We consider him armed and extremely dangerous. Thank you. No more questions._ " Eddie said on TV as Iris turned it off.

"Nice work, Eddie." Barry said.

"Yeah. Right place. Right time." Eddie said.

"No, you were a hero today." Barry said.

"CCPD still has a killer on the loose. I should get back to the precinct." Eddie said before kissing Iris as he left.

"So did you come here for caffeine or are you gonna tell me what's going on with you?" Iris asked.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

"Barry quit? Why?" Patty asked as she and Joe were talking with Wells.

"I'm sure it's only temporary." Wells said. "From what I know of Barry, when he sets his mind to something, no one's gonna talk him out of it, but the next time he suits up, runs headlong into danger, he will fail. Why? He doesn't think he's capable. Doubt is his real enemy, Joe. Not whatever's lurking out there. And as long as you continue to doubt him, he'll keep doubting himself."

"He's right, Joe." Patty said. "I may not approve of it but Barry's the only one, who can stop people like Clyde Mardon or Danton Black."

Wells was about to leave before facing Joe again. "And for the record, I care about him too."

* * *

**_CC Jitters_ **

Barry and Iris were talking about the red streak saving people before his phone rang, noticing that Caitlin was calling.

"Look, I told you. I'm through." Barry said.

" _I know, but you need to get to S.T.A.R. Labs right now._ " Caitlin ordered.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry sped in as he saw Black and glared, about to attack him.

"Barry, it's OK." Caitlin said.

"It is not OK." Barry snapped. "Black is here and he's... just standing there." He then realized something. "That's not him, is it?"

"It's one of his replicates." Wells said.

"How did you get it?" Barry inquired.

"I grew him." Caitlin explained as she showed him the simulation on the computer. "I isolated a sample of Black's blood from your suit to see if I could trigger the in vitro cultivation process and learn how Black multiplies. So I exposed the target cells to a protein gel and they began replicating into that."

Barry waved in front of Black's duplicate, who just stared and stood there frozen like a statue.

"Why doesn't he... It doing anything?"

"We did a brain scan. Involuntary motor functions are active. Little else." Wells explained.

"We think it's acting as a receiver." Cisco said.

"The clones are an empty shell without Black." Caitlin supplied. "Shut down the real Black and you might shut them all down."

"How do we know which one's the real Danton Black?" Barry pointed out.

"That occurred to me given your passing out." Caitlin explained. "Black has limits, just like you. Controlling all of those clones must require a tremendous amount of physical strength. So, look for the one showing signs of weakness or fatigue. He's the prime."

"Just a theory, but one you might want to put to the test, Mr. Allen." Wells said.

"Plus, I whipped up these high calorie protein bars for you to keep your metabolism up." Cisco handed Barry some kind of a candy bar.

Suddenly, the clone moved as Caitlin screamed before Joe entered and shot the clone as Patty followed him.

"Any more of them?" Joe asked.

"Nope." Caitlin said.

"Why did it start moving?" Barry demanded.

"The prime. The prime is on the move. This heard the summons." Wells deduced.

"And we might know where are they going. Stagg Industries." Patty said.

"You should call it in." Barry said.

"Police can't fight this. What Black's become, like Mardon... beyond us. Maybe way beyond them too. The only person it's not beyond is you. You gotta do this. I get it. So for once in your life, do what I tell you to do. Go stop him." Joe ordered as Barry nodded as he put on his suit.

* * *

_**Stagg Industries** _

Black and his clones took out the guards and entered Stagg's office, about to shoot him before Barry sped him to safety.

"Stay here." Barry ordered before returning to face Black's clones. "I know Stagg stole your research, but that doesn't give you the right to murder."

One of the clones fired as Barry dodged the bullet before knocking down the clones.

"You think this is about my job?" Black said before Barry pinned him to the wall. "This is about Elizabeth. She was my wife."

Barry dodged another bullet as another clone fired.

"She had a degenerative coronary disease. She'd been on the transplant list for years, but time was running out. So if I couldn't get her a new heart..."

"…you were gonna grow her one." Barry realized before dodging again as another clone shot at him.

"I was so close until Stagg stole my research so he could reap the glory. And I got to bury my best friend. Now... I'm alone." Black said as Barry knocked down another clone before Black multiplied himself, restraining Barry and beating him up before Barry shook them off.

" _Remember, Barry. Find the prime._ " Caitlin said.

"There's too many of them to fight." Barry protested.

" _Barry, you need to isolate the prime._ " Wells ordered.

"I can't." Barry said. "It's impossible."

" _Nothing's impossible, Barry. You taught me that. You can do this._ " Joe assured him.

" _Barry. We believe in you. You just need to believe in yourself. I know who you are. The man, who doesn't give up, even when he has countless of reasons to. So don't give up, Barry, come on!_ " Patty called out.

Barry faced the army of clones as he sped through them, knocking them down as he saw one of them sweating and then slammed him to a pillar, knocking him out as the clones passed out.

" _Barry. Barry, are you alright?_ " Joe called out.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's done." Barry said, much to their relief.

The original Black came to and rushed at Barry but Barry dodged as Black fell through the window before Barry caught him by his hand.

"Hang on." Barry said.

"No." Black said as he duplicated his hand.

"Don't." Barry said but Black let go as he fell to his demise and Barry stared.

* * *

**_The next day, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"I tried to save him." Barry said as they were watching the news report about Black's death.

"Doesn't sound like he wanted to be saved." Wells said. "Some people, when they break, they can't be put together again."

"Some people heal even stronger." Barry said.

"I hope so." Wells noted as Cisco and Caitlin looked solemn.

"Well, at least Multiplex won't be able to hurt anyone else." Cisco noted as they stared at him. "Told you I'd come up with a cool name."

"I may be the one in the suit doing all the running but when I'm out there helping people, making a difference… you're all out there with me. Finally realized something. We were all struck by that lightning." Barry said as he left, while they chuckled.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

Joe entered with three boxes of pizza as Barry and Patty looked at the evidence Barry had collected regarding his mother's death.

"We're gonna find the man who killed your mother. I promise." Patty said.

"We are." Joe said. "We're gonna figure out who or what killed your mother that night. And then we're gonna get your father out of prison. Together."

They sat down and ate as they laughed.

"No matter what happens, from now on, we're with you in this together." Patty promised as she held Barry's hand. The atmosphere started to feel different between them and they were tempted to make a move at each other before Joe opened the box of pizza.

"Hey, I can't eat three pizzas on my own." Joe said as Barry and Patty chuckled before they started to eat.

* * *

**_Later, Stagg Industries_ **

Stagg was in his office before noticing Wells entering his office.

"Wells. Who the hell let you in here?" Stagg demanded.

"You been having a party out there?" Wells asked.

"Oh, I'm sure you saw on TV. Former employee of mine tried to kill me." Stagg said.

"Former employee with the ability to replicate... faced off against a man who could move at superspeed." Wells said.

"You've seen him too, haven't you?" Stagg asked, smirking.

"Indeed, I have." Wells nodded.

"Extraordinary." Stagg said as he got up. "The power he possesses. It's like the... it's like the gods of old. Like Mercury on Earth. Can you imagine if you could control his power, if you could harness it... you could change what it means to be human. The man in the red mask is the key. And I'm gonna get him."

"The man in the red mask… he's called the Flash." Wells said as he got up, much to Stagg's shock. "Or at least... he will be, one day."

"What the hell?" Stagg demanded.

Wells pulled out a knife and stabbed Stagg in the heart.

"Forgive me, Simon. I'm worried you'll think this is personal. It's not. It's just that the man in the red mask, the fastest man alive, he must be kept... safe." Wells said coldly, pulling the knife out as Stagg fell down, dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	5. The Mist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off a metahuman, who turns into poisonous gas, while he, Joe and Patty again go over Nora's death and try to prove Henry's innocence and find a way to contain metahumans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Patty and Barry were in his lab, eating Thai food as Patty stared at the trash bin.

"How the hell did you manage to eat twelve of those?" Patty wondered.

"I burn a lot of calories." Barry said.

"Damn, even I wasn't that hungry, when I was a kid." Patty said. "And by the way, I heard that last night, Paulson miraculously caught a perp, who didn't even see him coming. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?" She asked with a teasing voice.

"It wasn't him last night but me." Barry said.

Patty sighed. "Barry, don't you think you're dragging quite a lot of attention to yourself lately? The news and social media have been filling up with this mysterious streak who's been saving people and catching perps in a blur."

Barry sighed in frustration. "I know. It's hard enough that I have to keep it a secret from Iris—"

"I can't say I blame him. He's just trying to protect her." Patty said before Joe entered with a box.

"We've got work to do." Joe said as Barry recognized the box that Joe put down.

"The evidence from my mom's case." Barry said.

"I had it brought up from storage." Joe said.

"I've been through this box a thousand times." Barry said.

"Before your story about what really happened that night, the lightning storm, the man in the middle, I thought that was a kid trying to protect his father from prison." Joe said, gesturing to Barry's table of evidence "But now that I know it's true, we're gonna go through every scrap of evidence until we find something that helps."

"It took the jury 52 minutes to come back with a verdict of guilty." Barry pointed out.

"They moved too fast." Joe said. "Which is why we gotta take our time."

"But what are we even going to look for?" Patty pointed out as they turned to the box before Eddie entered.

"Barry, Joe, Patty, we got multiple homicides." Eddie said. "Do you know the Darbinyan crime family?"

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Barry was examining the crime scene, where the Darbinyan mob were dead in the restaurant.

"Signs of histotoxic hypoxia." Barry said.

"They suffocated from breathing in poison gas." Patty said.

"What kind of poison?" Joe wondered.

"I'll need to take a lung sample, see if I can narrow it down." Barry said.

"The only other exit was bolted from the inside." Eddie said as he entered. "They were trapped. I was thinking someone pumped gas in from the outside but witnesses say the street was empty."

"So it was from the inside? That means there should be a canister or a container left behind. The gas just didn't come in by itself." Joe said as Patty and Barry looked around.

"Unless that gas was thinking for itself." Patty said as Joe turned to them.

"Eddie, would you mind canvassing again? Somebody had to have seen something suspicious." Joe said as Eddie left before he neared Barry and Patty. "OK, explain."

"The way they died, it wasn't any ordinary poison gas." Patty said. "Look." She gestured to the corpses.

"The boss collapsed by the table. This guy made it ten feet away. That guy had a chance to move and fire three shots into the window trying to break the glass. But they all started in the same spot." Barry explained.

"It was as if that gas picked them off one by one, not all at the same time." Patty explained.

Joe realized what was going on. "My gut feeling, if we're gonna solve this one, we're gonna need backup."

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Fascinating. A metahuman that can manipulate poison gas." Wells said as Barry, Joe and Patty filled them in.

"Is it just poison gas or can he control all aerated substances?" Cisco said.

"And how is he able to formulate the connection? Is it physiological or psychological?" Caitlin added.

"This individual can create a mental nexus using gaseous substances." Wells said.

"You mean connect with gases on a molecular level? That is ridiculously cool." Cisco said, enthusiastic.

"They get excited about this stuff." Barry said.

"The only thing I'm excited about is putting criminals behind bars." Joe said.

"Uh, last I checked, we had to shoot Mardon and Black committed suicide. And how is Iron Heights supposed to contain metahumans?" Patty pointed out.

"Well, I guess it's fortunate the ones you've encountered so far, are no longer with us." Wells said indifferently.

"Are we really going to execute every metahuman criminal we meet?" Patty argued.

"Patty's right, you geniuses are gonna have to come up with some place to hold them." Joe said.

"A metahuman prison. Sweet." Cisco smiled.

"Until we figure a way to remove their powers." Wells agreed.

"There is one place here that might hold them." Cisco said as it hit both Wells and Caitlin, both of them looking at Cisco stunned.

"You can't be serious. We haven't been down there since..." Caitlin stopped, reliving the pain. "It's cordoned off.

"Cisco is right. It could be modified to act as a makeshift prison." Wells said.

"What could?" Barry inquired.

"The particle accelerator." Wells said, much to Barry's, Joe's and Patty's shock as Caitlin seemed to be reliving the pain.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

Barry was analyzing the lung sample from the Darbinyan mobster's corpse as Patty was going over the evidence from Nora's death.

"We've been over this hundreds of times." Patty said. "Everything points back to your father. But knowing now what we know… how can we have been so blind?" She sighed.

"It's not your fault, Patty. It's not like any of you had any reason to believe me." Barry said.

"But I should've." Patty said. "All the times you were right, when case-solving… you know, I looked up to you."

Barry turned his head to her as the computer was analyzing the lung sample. "Really?"

"I mean, I found it impossible, the story about the man in the blur but… your enthusiasm. Your drive. Your passion for science. Sometimes I'd go over your CSI reports, to study more." Patty said. "You were my inspiration, when I wanted to become a CSI." Barry smiled. "I wish I had done more for you."

"You're doing more now, Patty." Barry said. "You're one of the kindest people I know. Selfless and compassionate."

"Not enough to listen to you. Looking back, I—"

"Don't." Barry held her hand. "What's done is done. Don't dwell on it."

Patty smiled as she held his hand. "From now on, I'm always going to be here for you. And we'll find the man in yellow and get your Dad out of prison. I promise."

Then, Barry's analyzer beeped as he and Patty turned to it as the results were printed out.

"That's strange." Barry said.

"No residue of gas in the tissue? How is that possible?" Patty wondered. "Evaporated, maybe?"

"I don't know but we'll need to get a fresh sample." Barry said.

"Wait, wait. Do you see this?" Patty said, pointing at the results. "It says that there were two strands of DNA inside the tissue."

"How did someone else's DNA get inside the victims' lungs?" Barry wondered before his radio went off.

" _Available units, we have a report of a toxic gas attack in the Central City Shopping Mall._ " The radio announced as Barry got up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're not going there, are you?" Patty intervened, getting in his way before Barry picked his suit from the locker. "Barry, we don't even know what are we dealing with."

"Patty, I have to go." Barry said before he sped off as she sighed.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"I patched into the mall security system. According to witnesses, the gas attack was in the elevator in the north wing." Cisco said.

" _Which one is the north wing?_ " Barry asked.

"The one with the Big Belly Burger." Wells said as Cisco stared at him. "I eat." Wells shrugged.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry sped into the mall into the elevator and saw that the woman had been lying on the floor, dead as he sighed from his failure. Barry saw some green mist go into the fire exit as it formed into a bald man in Iron Heights inmate suit.

"Why did you kill that woman?" Barry demanded.

"She deserved to die." The man said. "Now, go run away. I still have one more name on my list. Don't make me add you to it."

Barry tried to punch the man but his fist went through him as the man evaporated before regaining his form. The man punched Barry, who groaned before he turned into the green gas, knocking Barry down and Barry suffocated as he inhaled the gas, falling on his knees.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Barry. Barry, can you hear me?" Wells called out, when Barry did not reply.

"His vitals are weak, but he's alive, Dr. Wells. I'm sure he's fine." Cisco said before Barry sped in, suffocating.

"I can't breathe." Barry said weakly.

"He needs oxygen. Get the crash cart!" Wells ordered as Cisco got up and rushed away.

* * *

Barry was on the stretcher, the top half of his suit open as Caitlin rushed in.

"Barry." Caitlin called out.

"Cut me open. The poison is still in me." Barry choked out.

"He brought us a sample. We need to do a pulmonary biopsy. Extract an active portion of that gas." Wells ordered.

"I can't give you any anesthetic. Your metabolism will burn through it." Caitlin said.

"I heal quick. Remember?" Barry reminded.

"Do it." Wells ordered.

"Cisco, give me the syringe." Caitlin ordered as Cisco handed her the syringe. "This is gonna hurt a lot."

"It's a small needle. You probably won't feel it." Cisco assured him.

"You're definitely going to feel it." Caitlin said before she pierced Barry's lung as he gasped in pain and passed out.

* * *

Barry came to as Cisco and Caitlin were at his side.

"The Streak lives." Cisco said.

"You'd be dead if your lung cells didn't regenerate quickly." Caitlin said.

"Oh, my chest feels like that one time I had a cigarette." Barry said as Cisco and Caitlin stared. "Yeah. Teen me lived for danger."

"Is he here?" Patty called out as she rushed in and hugged Barry tightly and he groaned. "Oh, thank God. You had me scared to death. Are you OK?"

"He's gonna be fine. He's lucky he heals fast." Caitlin said.

"Jesus, don't ever do that to me, Barry. I was worried you wouldn't make it back alive. What… what happened?" Patty asked.

Barry looked sad as he remembered. "That meta killed her."

Patty sighed. "I know. Joe and Singh and the rest are going over Judge Howard's old cases, see if there might be a suspect."

"It's too late. I should've been faster." Barry said weakly as Patty held his shoulder.

"Barry. What happened is not your fault. You may have powers but that doesn't make you all-powerful." Patty said as Barry considered. "I've been there. Trust me. Cops deal with this every day." She took a breath. "When I was a rookie detective, I got a call about a stand-off in a shop. My senior partner and I tried to talk them out of shooting each other. It didn't work. And I saw them shoot each other, right in front of me." Barry saw how was she reliving the pain. "I kept reliving it for weeks. But they told me that I needed to accept that…"

Patty took a breath. "Some people you can't save, no matter how hard you try. Blaming yourself is not going to help. The worst thing is living with that your best wasn't enough or that guilt over messing up. Look, Barry… I know it's hard to hear… but sometimes you have to accept that even your best might not be enough. And you'll have to find a way to love with it."

Barry stared and considered as Patty held his hand.

* * *

As Barry recovered, he and Patty went out before they saw Caitlin on edge at the treadmill.

"Hey." Barry said.

"Are you OK?" Patty asked.

"You were freaked out when Wells mentioned the accelerator. Is it about Ronnie?" Barry asked as she nodded. "My mother died fourteen years ago." Barry said. "I used to think that the further away I got from it, the less it would hurt." He sighed. "But some days, the pain… it's worse than the day it happened. Some things you can't fight."

Caitlin took a breath as they sat next to each other. "For so long, I've been terrified of going into that hole." She said, referring to the pipeline, where she had lost Ronnie in the explosion.

"What if we go with you?" Patty offered to console her.

* * *

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this." Patty said as she and Barry were accompanying Caitlin. "I can't even imagine—"

"He was a hero." Caitlin said. "He saved so many lives that day and no one will ever know what he did."

"We do." Patty said.

"He was a hero." Barry said.

"I didn't want him to be a hero." Caitlin said as she turned to them, her voice breaking. "I wanted him to be my husband."

Barry and Patty hugged her, trying to console her before Cisco called out through P.A.

" _Guys, you down there? You gotta come look at this._ " Cisco said.

* * *

They returned to the Cortex as Cisco showed them the 3D molecular model on the computer.

"Hey, check this out. It's a 3D molecular model of the gas from your lungs." Cisco explained.

"We have identified the toxin." Wells said.

"Hydrogen cyanide?" Barry asked.

"What's interesting is what's mixed in with the cyanide. A sedative." Wells explained as it hit Barry and Patty.

"Of course. The night of the explosion, was anyone executed?" Barry asked as he turned to Patty and she paled upon remembering.

"Oh, no." Patty said, horrified.

"What?" Wells and Cisco turned to them in confusion.

"That sedative is given to the inmates before they are executed on the death row by inhaling cyanide gas." Patty said. "And I think I know who it is. Check out if any inmate was executed on the night of the particle accelerator explosion."

"Kyle Nimbus." Caitlin said as she pulled out the profile.

"That's him." Barry said.

"I should've known." Patty groaned. "He was a hitman for the Darbinyan crime family. They testified against him and Judge Howard was the one, who sentenced him to death."

"He must have been affected by the explosion while he was being gassed." Wells realized.

"We thought he was dead, the execution was complete. That's why we couldn't ID him." Patty said.

"The database only has records of the living." Barry said as Patty nodded.

"Barry, he's going after the people that put him into prison." Patty said.

"He said there was one more person on his list." Barry remembered.

"I know who it is." Patty breathed out, horrified. "The lead detective who arrested him."

"Who?" Barry asked.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

Eddie's phone rang as he answered it.

"Eddie." Barry called out.

"Barry, what's up?" Eddie said.

"Hey, do you know where Joe went? He's not picking up his cell." Barry said.

"I'm not sure." Eddie said.

"Eddie, it's important I speak to him. I need to know where he went." Barry pleaded.

"He went to Iron Heights to see your dad." Eddie said, leaving Barry horrified.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R Labs** _

Caitlin handed Barry a syringe with some red liquid.

"Barry, I reverse-engineered an antidote to the toxin. I hope you won't need it." Caitlin said.

* * *

**_Iron Heights_ **

In the visitor room, Joe was talking with Henry, promising to get him out of prison before the guard behind Joe suffocated as the green gas entered and Joe and Henry stared before the gas formed into…

" _Nimbus_?" Joe stared in disbelief. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Same to you." Nimbus said before turning into gas as Joe inhaled it and suffocated as he collapsed to the floor, getting a seizure as Nimbus disappeared through the vents.

"Joe! Guards! Somebody help!" Henry yelled, banging on the glass.

Barry sped in and injected Joe with the antidote and as he turned to Henry, Barry vibrated his face, so that Henry would not recognize him.

Joe breathed normally as Barry relaxed.

"Go get him." Joe said weakly as Barry sped off.

* * *

Barry sped outside the prison, facing Nimbus.

"So, you come to finish what the gas chamber couldn't?" Nimbus challenged.

"You're going somewhere you can't hurt anyone ever again." Barry said.

"Wrong." Nimbus said before turning into gas.

" _You need to stay away from him, Barry. Do not breathe him in._ " Caitlin instructed.

Barry started to run away from Nimbus. "I'm not sure how that helps me, guys." Barry tried to catch Nimbus but passed right through him.

"You can't fight him, Barry. Just keep him coming at you. That should zap his strength." Caitlin suggested.

"Gas is the least stable form of matter. This metahuman will not be able to stay in his mist form for long. His particles will need to reform." Wells advised.

Barry sped off down the road as Nimbus turned into the mist again, chasing him before he turned into his normal form, exhausted. Nimbus again turned into the mist as Barry dodged before Nimbus again returned to his normal form, panting out in exhaustion.

Barry rushed at him, knocking him out.

"Barry?" Wells called out.

"We win." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, Central City General_ **

"He's gonna be fine." Barry said.

"Thank God." Patty sighed in relief. "And Nimbus?"

"S.T.A.R. Labs will hold him." Barry said and Patty narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Barry, I… get that… Iron Heights will not hold them but the idea of metahuman criminals locked up in underground cells with no trial and inhuman conditions…" Patty trailed off.

"It's the only place that can hold them." Barry pointed out.

"I know. I know. But… we have laws. Metahumans aren't some… pile of trash you can just ditch away. Besides, locking them in small spaces like that one, who's going to feed them? What about their rights?" Patty pointed out.

"Well, then, what would you have me do?" Barry questioned. "Like you said, it's not like Iron Heights can hold them. And even if S.T.A.R. Labs could help them with the means to contain metas, they don't trust Wells anymore. Am I supposed to put them all down or let them die?"

"I didn't say that." Patty protested. "But, Barry… with what we've seen, I understand that our options are limited but… honestly… I'm probably never going to be as fine with them as you or Wells or Cisco or Caitlin. I get why but—"

Barry nodded. "Patty… if there will ever be another way to contain metahumans, we're gonna find it. I promise."

Patty nodded and smiled. "That's what I like about you. You always try to find a way to do the right thing. Even if there may not be one. Sometimes I wish I had your heart, Barry."

They both chuckled and then the atmosphere was filled with some tension neither of them could explain as they neared each other and kissed for a moment before pulling away.

"Sorry." Barry said. "I didn't mean to—"

"Me either." Patty said. "But… it felt… nice."

"Did you like it?" Barry asked.

"We might need to try that few more times to find out." Patty teased as they left, holding hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	6. Captain Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off a thief, who had stolen a weapon that can hurt him, as an old friend comes to visit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Patty had returned from her shower, drying her hair with her towel, dressed in her bathrobe as she saw the dishes in the sink in her apartment as she looked into the fridge.

"Next time, you're going to have to bring these energy bars Cisco cooked up because I can't afford that much food." Patty said.

"Sorry. But I told you I needed to consume a lot of calories." Barry said.

Patty teased as she sat at Barry's lap, kissing him as she wrapped her arms around him. "Well, how about we try my pancakes? You're going to love them."

"I can't wait to try them." Barry said. "So… did you enjoy last night as much as I did?"

"Barry… last night… honestly, I wish we could have more of those." Patty said.

"Who says we can't?" Barry pointed out.

"The work. Colleague dating colleague, don't you think that could get us into trouble?" Patty said.

"We'll figure it out." Barry promised as they were about to kiss again before Patty's radio went off.

" _All units, 2-11 at 4th and Collins. Suspects are hijacking a bank van. I repeat, armed robbery at 4th and Collins._ "

"Damn it." Both Barry and Patty sighed.

"Just go." Patty said as Barry sped off.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

As soon as Barry suited up, he sped to the crime scene, knocking down the thieves hijacking the van before one of them shot the driver as one of the thieves put down his mask.

Barry sped back and neared the driver.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" Barry called out.

" _St. Andrews. Seven blocks north, two east._ " Caitlin said.

"Call the ER, tell them they have an incoming GSW." Barry said as the thieves got on their bikes and drove off.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, the place of robbery became a crime scene as Joe, Singh, Eddie, Patty and Barry were examining the evidence.

"They knew what they were doing." Patty said. "Destroyed the footage from the cameras on the street and smashed the door with liquid nitrogen."

"Did you see anything that can help us catch these guys?" Joe asked Barry.

"Yeah. One of them lost his mask. I saw his face." Barry confirmed.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Joe showed Barry the mug shots of Central City's most wanted as Barry went through them in superspeed.

"That's him." Barry said.

"Damn. Leonard Snart." Joe groaned.

"'Leonard'? That's almost as bad as 'Bartholomew'." Barry cracked.

"Snart ain't sexy either. Snart's father was a cop. A bad cop. Took his anger out on his kids, until he went to prison." Joe said.

"Snart's dad is in prison too? We should start a club." Barry said.

"He shows up, like, every six months. He cases a job for weeks before he makes his move. Then he does a job, gets away." Joe explained.

"That's before the Streak was around." Barry said as Patty entered.

"Am I hearing things or did you just refer to yourself in the third person?" Patty inquired.

"I referred to the Streak. I've been thinking of a new name." Barry said. "What do you think about the Fla—"

"Coffee break." Iris said, entering with cups of coffee. "Thought I'd bring Central City's finest java over to Central City's finest."

"Thanks, I'm off caffeine." Joe declined in a grumpy way as he left.

"My dad's been mad ever since I told him about me and Eddie." Iris said.

"No, you mean he's mad at you because you didn't tell him." Barry said.

"Can we talk about this later?" Iris sighed as they were on their way to Barry's lab. "Look, I've been wanting to tell you about this idea I had. After all these journalism classes, I started a blog."

"What's it about?" Patty asked.

"The Streak." Iris said as both Barry and Patty stopped. "He's out there. Rumor has it he stopped an armed car robbery earlier."

"Heh." Barry said awkwardly as Patty cleared her throat.

"I was hoping I could take a look at the file—"

"Iris, no offense but as officers of the law, we can't provide you any details about an ongoing police investigation." Patty said as they were on their way Barry's lab.

"Especially about this… Streak. Take it from someone who's been studying the impossible since they were eleven. Blogging about this, it's gonna bring the crazies to your door." Barry said.

"My blog is anonymous." Iris said.

"Anonymous or not, it's not safe. Who knows what kind of creeps you might find on the Internet." Patty pointed out.

"I can vouch for that. The Internet is full of weirdoes, and nerd rage." A blonde woman with a ponytail, white jacket and pink skirt said as she was in Barry's lab. "Lots and lots of nerd rage."

"Wait, I know you. You're that woman who kept visiting Barry, when he was in a coma, I saw you a few times." Patty said. "Frankie—"

"Felicity Smoak." Felicity shook her hand with Patty and Iris.

"Patty Spivot. Barry's colleague." Patty introduced herself.

"Iris West. Barry's foster sister." Iris said.

"Felicity is..."

"…the girl that you met in Starling City. The computer-er, right?" Iris remembered. "You two worked on one of Barry's unexplainable cases.

"Which, long story short, was definitely explainable." Felicity blabbered as Patty narrowed her eyes as Felicity looked up at the roof window. "So the lightning came through here?"

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"You won't mind if I catch up with Felicity a little—"

"Yeah, sure, sure." Patty and Iris nodded, leaving them alone.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Iris and Patty are very nice. And really pretty, like super pretty. Are you dating one of them?" Felicity asked as they walked down the park.

"I'm…" Barry paused. "Not sure if I'd go that far yet with the D-word with Patty. We started something just… few days ago but I'm not sure if we're at the dating phase."

"I see." Felicity nodded. "And Iris?"

"She's just a friend... who actually has a boyfriend." Barry said.

"Oh. That's… interesting. I guess." Felicity said. "What are you really doing here? I mean, it's good to see you but do you and Oliver need something—"

"No. No, I came because I wanted to see you." Felicity said as they stopped. "I... Heh. I heard you're out of the coma. Didn't call. Didn't write. Didn't race over..." She trailed off as Barry looked around in confusion before it hit him.

"Oliver told you?" Barry demanded as Felicity shook her head.

"Honestly, I heard you two talking on that rooftop in Starling City that night." Felicity explained. "I wanna see it." Then she realized what she had been implying. "And by 'it', I mean your speed. In case you thought I was talking about something else, which I was… which I was not." She blabbered out.

Barry looked around before he pointed at one of the buildings. "Uh, OK, you see that building?"

"Uh-huh." Felicity nodded.

"Keep your eyes on it." Barry ordered before he sped up to the building as she stared at it before Barry came back with a photo on the phone.

"You took a picture of me? From the top of that building?" Felicity realized.

"Yeah. Don't Instagram that." Barry said.

"Unbelievable." Felicity said before she looked at Barry's feet. "Your shoes are smoking!"

Barry stepped as he extinguished the smoke. "That's fine, it happens sometimes. That's why I have a friction-proof suit."

"Where did you get that?" Felicity demanded.

"I'll show you." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"This is where my team monitors the police bands for activity." Barry said as he and Felicity entered the Cortex. "We can track anything that's happening. Check this out. We've got our own satellite."

"I know." Felicity said as she looked around. "I've hacked into it from time to time."

"Rude." Cisco noted.

"It is, of course, so wonderful to see you again, Felicity." Caitlin said somewhat nervously. "I'm just wondering how much of our operation she needs to know about."

"I'm really good at keeping secrets." Felicity said.

"Felicity works for the Arrow." Barry said.

"Sweet." Cisco cheered as Felicity shot Barry a glare.

"And you, apparently, are not." Felicity said.

"Now it's all making sense. You know who the Arrow is." Cisco said, enthusiastic before stopping as he turned to Barry. "Wait. Do you know who the Arrow is?"

"Uh..." Barry trailed off.

"Let's just say that my team has a similar setup but with more pointy objects." Felicity said.

"Welcome, Miss Smoak." Wells said upon entering.

"Dr. Wells? The Dr. Wells?" Felicity asked, enthusiastic.

"Please, call me 'Harrison', Felicity." Wells said.

"You know who I am?" Felicity asked, flattered.

"Ranked second in the National Informative Technology competition at age 19. Graduated MIT with Master's degree in cybersecurity and computer sciences. I know who you are." Wells said upon entering the Cortex. "I keep an eye out for promising talent in scientific fields. That's what brought me Cisco and Caitlin. And I foresaw great things from you."

"Speaking of great things, wanna see something cool?" Barry offered.

* * *

Barry was running at the treadmill as Felicity observed him.

"How fast can he run?" Felicity wondered.

"He hasn't reached his top speed yet, theoretically speaking." Wells said.

"So is he really OK?" Felicity inquired.

"His heart rate is within normal range, for him." Caitlin said.

"No, I mean, the lightning bolt changed him. Do any of you really know how much?" Felicity asked.

"We know a fair amount." Cisco said.

"If everything about him is sped up, is he going to age faster? What would happen if he ran too fast? I mean, would he just be running and then poof, he's dust in a red costume?" Felicity asked, worried.

"Everything we do here, at S.T.A.R. Labs, is to protect Barry Allen." Wells assured her. "Trust us, Felicity, he is in very good hands here."

"Wanna see how fast I can run backwards?" Barry said before he crashed backwards into a wall.

"Don't worry. He heals quickly too." Caitlin assured her.

* * *

**_Later, CC Jitters_ **

After offered by Iris, Barry and Patty invited Felicity along on the Trivia Night as they were trying to identify the historical scientists.

"Three is Pasteur." Barry said.

"Three is Erdel, and four is Pasteur." Felicity corrected.

"Right."

"Five?" Barry asked.

"Descartes." Barry, Felicity and Patty said in unison.

"Are they even speaking English?" Eddie stared, wondering if the three geeks were from another planet.

"And the points go to E = MC Hammer." The judge said as Barry, Patty and Felicity high-fived.

"I knew you would make a good team." Iris said.

"So, Felicity, what do you do?" Eddie inquired.

"I work in computer sciences at Queen Consolidated." Felicity said.

"Really?" Eddie asked.

"Do you have a boyfriend in Starling City?" Iris inquired.

"Um, no. No, there is no one." Felicity shook her head.

"I'll get us more drinks." Eddie said as he got up.

"And I had too many of those first ones, so I will be right back." Felicity said as she got up as Iris stared at him, alongside Patty.

"What?" Barry asked.

"She's got a crush on you." Patty said.

"I know but…" Barry paused.

"But what?" Iris asked before she saw how Patty and Barry were looking at each other. "Oh. How long have you two—"

"Iris, it's not…" Barry paused.

"We… haven't officially started anything yet." Patty said. "We just… we…"

"We're taking it slow." Barry said.

"Oh." Iris said.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Cisco and Wells were at the storage area, with Wells glaring as Cisco paled at seeing the empty locker.

"How long has it been missing?" Wells asked.

"I don't know." Cisco said nervously.

"I'm gonna ask you again, Cisco." Wells said slowly, running out of patience. "And when I do, I expect a more specific answer than 'I don't know.'. Now, how long has this weapon been gone?"

"A day. Maybe two." Cisco replied. "One janitor didn't show up for work this morning. He was probably the one who took it. I didn't think that—"

Wells slammed the locker as Cisco winced and shut up. "You didn't think. Because if you had, you would've discussed with me first your desire to build something that could hurt anyone, and in particular _Barry Allen_."

Cisco had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm sorry. If you just let me explain—"

"You know how I feel about weapons, Cisco, they do not belong in S.T.A.R. Labs." Wells interrupted him. "Now, you're gonna figure out a way to locate this gun and you're gonna do it right now."

Wells left as Caitlin stared at Cisco.

"This thing you built, what can it do?" Caitlin asked.

"Bad stuff." Cisco said.

* * *

**_CC Jitters_ **

Patty's and Eddie's phones went off as they looked at the messages.

"Snart." Patty said.

"We gotta go." Eddie said as he and Patty left, while Iris accompanied Eddie and Felicity followed Barry.

"I'll cover for you." Felicity offered.

"What are you gonna say?" Barry asked.

"I usually tell people Oliver's at a night club, with a girl or nursing a hangover." Felicity said.

"None of which will work for me." Barry protested.

"Bad stomach ache. Diarrhea." Felicity suggested.

"I'm not comfortable with that excuse." Barry protested.

"Just go." Felicity said as he sped off, leaving her alone in the alley. "Stay safe. And I'm talking to air now, which is odd. I'm still doing it." She muttered, realizing the awkward situation of being alone in an alley.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Joe chased Snart into the museum but Snart pulled out some kind of a hi-tech gun that shot out a blue beam, freezing the road as the cruisers skidded. As Joe followed Snart into the museum, Snart fired again at Joe but Barry pushed him away before the blue beam knocked him down.

"You OK?" Joe asked.

"It burns." Barry groaned, his hip freezing. Barry dodged, when Snart fired again.

"Time for a test run. Let's see how fast you are." Snart said, looking around and shooting at the civilians but Barry managed to push them away from the line of fire before Snart aimed at a guard. Barry attempted to save the guard as he tried to get ahead of the blue beam but was too slow as it hit the guard and he fell down, frozen to death.

"No!" Barry cried out, staring in disbelief as Snart left. "No."

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"It's still numb." Barry said as Caitlin tended to his wound.

"It's like third-degree frostbite." Caitlin said.

"I thought he had hyper-healing." Felicity said, confused.

"It's been slowed." Caitlin said as she showed him the CT scan. "If your cells weren't regenerating at the rate they are, your blood vessels would've frozen solid. The nerve damage would've been permanent. You're lucky to be alive."

"Snart wasn't another metahuman. He has some kind of gun. It froze things. It slowed me down." Barry said. "Enough that I wasn't able to save someone."

"Snart didn't even graduate from high school, how was he able to build some hi-tech cold gun?" Patty wondered.

"Good question." Felicity said.

"S.T.A.R. Labs built the cold gun." Wells said.

"Dr. Wells and Caitlin had nothing to do with this." Cisco said. "I built the gun."

"You did? Why?" Barry demanded, him, Patty and Felicity shooting Cisco incredulous looks.

"Because speed and cold are opposites. Temperature is measured by how quickly the atoms of something are oscillating." Cisco explained. "The faster they are, the hotter it is. When things are cold, they're slower on the atomic level. When there's no movement, it's called..."

"…absolute zero." Barry and Patty finished.

"I designed a compact cryo-engine to achieve absolute zero. I built it to stop you." Cisco said.

"You built a weapon to hurt Barry? Why would you do that?" Patty demanded.

"I didn't know who you were then, Barry. I mean, what if you turned out to be some psycho, like Mardon or Nimbus?" Cisco pointed out.

"But I didn't, did I?" Barry snapped.

"We built the entire structure you're standing in to do good, and it blew up. You can understand why Cisco would wanna be prepared for the worst." Caitlin pointed out as Barry sighed.

"I can understand that, but what I can't understand is why you didn't tell me what you did." Barry said. "After all we've been through, I thought you trusted me. I thought we were friends."

"We are, Barry—"

"If you had told us about something like this, we could've been prepared just in case. But instead, an innocent man died tonight." Patty said.

"And I have to live with that." Cisco said, having the decency to look ashamed and guilty.

"No, Cisco, we all do." Barry said.

Patty sighed as she went out. "I'll see if there are witnesses out there, who knows where Snart might have gone. The moment I get something, I'll call you."

* * *

Barry was running on the treadmill, venting out his frustration as Felicity entered as Barry stopped, panting out.

"Barry." Felicity called out. "What are you doing?"

"You should get back to your hotel." Barry said as he sat down, panting out. "Get some sleep."

"You should too." Felicity argued. "Not go back to my hotel, I meant get some sleep."

"I can't." Barry said as he sat down, breathing out. "Every time I close my eyes, I see that man's face. I watched him die." He got up, about to run again. "I have to go faster."

"Barry, it's not your fault. And it's not Cisco's either. I know you're upset, but you have to look at this from his point of view." Felicity reasoned.

"No, I get it. He didn't trust me." Barry said, frustrated.

"Barry, when you met us, me, Oliver and Dig, we were this well-oiled archery machine but it didn't start out that way. And unlike you, guys, we weren't tossed together overnight, we came together one at a time. It took much more than watching Oliver do the salmon ladder to make me trust him." Felicity said as Barry turned to her, considering before sighing. "I've seen firsthand what this life can do to people. It's a lonely path. Don't make it any lonelier than it has to be." She finished as she left until Barry's phone went off as he answered it.

"Yeah?"

" _Barry, it's Patty. Witnesses spotted Snart at the Central City Train Station, I'm on my way there with Joe and Eddie._ " Patty said.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry sped into the train, facing Snart.

"There's nowhere to run." Barry said as Snart aimed his cold gun at him, surprised by how young the Streak was.

"I didn't see you before. Your mom know you're out past your bedtime?" Snart taunted.

"If you wanted to get away, you should've taken something faster than a train." Barry said as he got up.

"That's if I wanted to get away." Snart said. "I've seen your weakness. At the armored car, then at the theater. So while you're busy saving everybody, I'll be saving myself." Snart said as he froze the train tires, causing for it to skid. "Good luck with that!" He said before jumping out of the train.

The wagons crashed but Barry got all passengers out in superspeed as the train crashed. Barry fell on the ground as Snart shot him with his Cold Gun.

"Pretty fast, kid. But not fast enough." Snart said as Barry stared at him, awaiting the end. "Thank you."

"For what?" Barry demanded.

"You forced me to up my game. Not only with this gun, but with how I think about the job." Snart said. "It's been educational."

"Drop it." Cisco said as Snart heard a device turn on and he turned around to see Cisco, Felicity and Caitlin holding some hi-tech device. "This is a prototype cold gun, four times the size, four times the power."

"I was wondering who you were talking to." Snart said.

"Hey, unless you wanna taste your own medicine, I'd back the hell up." Cisco warned.

"Your hands are shaking. You've never killed anyone." Snart noted, knowing Cisco was bluffing.

"There's a first time for everything, Captain Cold. I will shoot you." Cisco said, aiming at Snart, who considered. He had beaten the speedster but was it worth the risk to call Cisco's bluff? After a moment, he made up his mind.

"You win, kid. I'll see you around." Snart said as he was about to leave.

"Hey, leave the diamond." Cisco said.

"Don't push your luck." Snart said, walking away as Cisco laughed a moment later.

"I couldn't shoot him if I wanted to. This is actually the S.T.A.R. Labs vacuum cleaner." Cisco said. "With a lot of LEDs."

"Let's get you warm." Caitlin said as they tended to Barry.

"Thank you." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, Central City Train Station_ **

"Thanks for accompanying me, Barry." Felicity said.

"Anytime, Felicity." Barry said as she turned to him.

"She's good for you." Felicity said. "Patty. Both of you geeks, enthusiastic about crime scene, science, investigating…"

"Like someone." Barry noted as she chuckled.

"I'm really happy for you." Felicity said. "And can I give you an advice?"

"What?" Barry asked.

"Someone, who's like you and a good fit… don't let someone like her go. Or it's going to haunt you. Oliver made that mistake. If you care about her, do your best to keep her." Felicity said as they hugged each other.

"Stay safe, Felicity." Barry said.

"You too, Barry."

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Snart was in a hideout, talking with an old colleague of his.

"I know it's been a while since we pulled that job. I know it didn't go so well for you. And I know I said we were finished, but things have changed. If I wanna keep working in Central City, I'm gonna need a new kind of crew. I'm gonna need someone like you. You're tolerant of extremes, you have certain skills. You just need some direction. And I can give that to you." Snart said as he opened the box, showing him another weapon from S.T.A.R. Labs he had stolen, that looked like a flamethrower as the man lit up a match, examining the weapon. "You still like playing with fire? You're gonna love this. So, are you in, Mick, or are you out?"

"Yeah, buddy, I'm in." Mick laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barry's and Felicity's interactions are always amazing when they're together, back when Felicity was more tolerable, I would've shipped them since their interactions in Arrow 2x08-09 and The Flash 1x04 were great but since I'm doing Barry/Patty, I've tried to make Felicity more of a supporting friend, hope it worked. Plus, even Iris admitted that she would've liked to see Barry and Felicity together. Don't recall if she said that about Patty though in Season 2.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	7. Plastique

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off a meta, who is the first one that actually wants help with her powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

At the bar, Barry quickly drank several shots of tequila, much to Caitlin's, Cisco's and Patty's surprise.

"Nothing at all?" Patty asked.

"I can't get drunk." Barry said.

"It's your hypermetabolism. I need a sample." Caitlin said, reaching into her purse.

"I'll get more shots." Cisco said as he got up.

"I swear I had a Vacutainer." Caitlin muttered.

"Wait, you carry a blood-collection kit in your purse?" Barry asked, him and Patty raising brows.

"You have your hobbies..." Caitlin shrugged.

Cisco returned with more shots of tequila as Barry, Cisco, Caitlin and Patty drank them.

"Still nothing?" Cisco asked.

"I can't get drunk." Barry grumbled. "I mean, I'm only 25, and my drinking days are already over."

"Come on, Allen, you're up." Eddie said before his and Patty's phones went off. "There was a bombing on 8th and Pass."

"And I think that's our cue to leave." Patty said.

"Sorry, guys." Eddie said as he and Patty left, while Caitlin faked a yawn.

"I'm beat." Caitlin said.

"I've got an early shift at Jitters. We'll catch up tomorrow. Great."

"It's getting late anyway, so I'm just gonna..." Barry quickly left.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Suited up, Barry sped to a building where was fire going on and a man was hanging from a window.

"Help! Somebody!"

"Guys, there's a window washer, and he's gonna fall." Barry said.

"Don't try and catch him. You don't have super strength." Cisco said.

"Is there a bed store near here? What if I get mattresses and stack them?" Barry suggested.

"Barry, this isn't a Road Runner cartoon." Caitlin protested.

"How fast would I need to go to run up a side of a building?" Barry asked.

"How far up do you need to go?" Cisco inquired.

"I don't know, 50 meters give or take." Barry said, measuring the distance with his eyes as Cisco picked his pen and a napkin, calculating. "Guys, hurry."

"Just run really fast and you'll be fine but you need to maintain velocity on the way down, or..." Caitlin paused.

"Or what?" Barry asked as Cisco and Caitlin stared at each other.

"Splat." Caitlin said.

"Great." Barry groaned. "All right, all right, all right. Here it goes." He ran up the side of the building as the line snapped and the window washer was falling before Barry caught him and got him on the ground safely but was shocked to face Iris, who stared at him in disbelief. Barry vibrated his face so that she would not recognize him as he sped off.

* * *

**_The next morning_ **

"Barry, what have you got?" Joe asked as they were examining the crime scene, where the fire happened the previous night.

"Bombers typically have their own unique signatures. Crimped wires, fragmentation." Barry said. "The level of sophistication is telling once I've analyzed it. You show me a bomb, I can find a clue in it."

"Sounds like there's a 'but' coming." Joe said.

"No fragments of a bomb or an oxidizing agent." Patty said as she looked around. "Almost like if the floor blew up all by itself."

"Things don't just blow up." Joe protested.

"Security guard said our bomber was a woman, red hair." Eddie said as he entered. "Also cut the security cameras feed. There's no footage. But there might be something else." Barry, Joe and Patty followed Eddie as he accompanied them to the archive room with file cabinets. "Some kind of small charge blasted the doorknob off."

"Do we know what's missing?" Patty asked.

"My guess is one of these files." Eddie said. "It's gonna take days to figure out which one."

"Let's let Barry do his thing." Joe said as he and Eddie left.

"I'll help." Patty said, while Barry in superspeed went through all the file cabinets and looking into the folders before he pulled out one that piqued his interest. "What is it?" She asked.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"Maybe, if we find out why that bomber wanted the file, we can—"

Patty and Barry stopped, when they saw an army general and soldiers inside the precinct.

"Hey, what's going on?" Barry asked.

"General Eiling is relieving us from the bombing case." Joe explained. "Give these men everything that's relevant."

"OK…" Patty nodded hesitantly as Barry handed the soldiers his box of evidence but quickly snatched a plastic bag from it.

"You and a few civilians from S.T.A.R. Labs might wanna check into that." Joe said.

"I think we might." Barry nodded. He and Patty went out as she saw the look on his face.

"Is everything OK? Something you wanna tell me?" Patty asked.

Barry sighed. "Iris saw me last night."

"What?" Patty asked. "Saw you, as in…"

"…the Streak. Yeah." Barry nodded.

"Did she recognize you?" Patty asked and he shook his head. "What was she even doing there?"

"Chasing a lead on me." Barry explained as she groaned.

"Damn it. Barry, you know she can't get too close." Patty said.

"I know. I'll tell Joe." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"A VA file number is all the info you have on the bomber?" Cisco asked.

"We've been ordered off the case this morning." Patty explained.

"Who has the power to do that?" Caitlin inquired.

"The U.S. Army visited us this morning." Patty said.

"Yeah, some general. His name was Eiling, I think." Barry said.

"General Wade Eiling." Wells said as he entered, his face grim.

"You know him?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, I know him." Wells said bitterly. "About ten years ago, General Wade Eiling contracted S.T.A.R. Labs to develop enhanced gene therapies for soldiers. I was interested in the medical benefits for civilians. General Eiling really wanted to develop mind-reading capabilities for interrogation purposes. I stopped the study when I saw his techniques up close, but our split was less than amicable.

"He took all the evidence I collected on the bombing." Barry said as he showed Wells the folder. "Everything but the folder."

"Well, lucky for us, the VA finally joined the new millennium and digitized their records." Cisco said, typing on the computer. "A lot of redacted info but our girl's name is Bette Sans Souci, an EOD specialist for the Army."

"EOD?" Caitlin asked.

"Bombs." Cisco explained.

"Do you have an address? Any lead would help." Patty asked.

"Hold on. Here we go." Cisco typed away. "One person in case of emergency: Cameron Scott, Anglewood."

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

Bette was walking down the alley before Barry, in his suit, approached her. "Bette Sans Souci?" Bette turned around and ran away as Barry sighed before facing her again. "I need you to come with me."

"Don't touch me, please." Bette said, terrified. Barry grabbed her by her hand as she tried to push him away but then the emblem on Barry's suit glowed purple as Bette gasped. "Get whatever you're wearing off of you. Hurry!"

Barry sped away and took off his suit as it exploded, leaving him in his underwear.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Barry, can you hear me? Barry?" Cisco called out.

"Something's wrong." Patty said, worried.

"There must be a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he's not answering." Caitlin said hopefully. "Barry!"

Barry sped back, quickly putting on S.T.A.R. Labs shirt and pants as Patty, Caitlin and Cisco stared.

"Uh..." Caitlin started.

"Don't ask." Barry grumbled.

"I'm gonna ask. Where's my suit?" Cisco asked slowly, glaring.

"It's… gone." Barry said, avoiding Cisco's eyes.

"What do you mean, 'It's gone'? What did you do with my suit?" Cisco demanded, running out of patience.

"It blew up, dude. I managed to get out of it before it went kaboom." Barry said as they all stared.

"My suit went kaboom?" Cisco asked slowly, hoping he had misheard Barry.

"Fun fact about Bette Sans Souci: She's not carrying bombs. She touched the emblem on the suit and turned it into a bomb. She's a metahuman." Barry deadpanned.

"With the ability to cause spontaneous combustion upon tactile contact." Wells explained as he entered.

"She blew up my suit." Cisco said, disbelieving.

"You have like three more." Caitlin noted.

"OK, I have two. And I loved that one." Cisco snapped.

"All right, what else do we know about her?" Barry inquired.

"Oh, I don't know, she's pure evil?" Cisco snapped as he neared the computer, typing away and glaring. "We're gonna find this girl and send her butt into the Pipeline. No one blows my tech to smithereens and gets away with it." He stopped, when he saw her face as he pulled up Beth's profile. "Unless she looks like that."

"I don't think she meant to hurt me." Barry said.

"Or her being a metahuman explains General Eiling's interest in her." Wells said.

"And why did he take away our case." Patty nodded.

"He didn't want anyone to know what she could do." Joe said as he entered.

"Detective." Wells nodded at him.

"Doctor." Joe nodded back. "So human bomb. Must be Tuesday in Central City." He said dryly.

"Yes. And General Eiling's not one to give up a potential asset without a fight." Wells sighed.

* * *

_**The next day, Central City** _

The following day, Barry and the team followed another lead as Bette visited Dr. Harold Hadley, the man, who had performed surgery on her several times.

She was about to near Hadley, when Barry sped in and then saw laser gunsights, as the windows shattered and she was shot in the shoulder as she fell down.

"You OK?" Barry asked, kneeling towards Bette, who nodded. "I can get you out of here. I can help you understand what happened to you."

"How?" Bette asked, confused.

"Because it happened to me too. Please." Barry pleaded.

Barry saw a flashbang grenade crash in through the window as he sped Bette away.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells showed Bette the simulation of the particle accelerator explosion on the computer.

"As the detonation dispersed throughout Central City, a number of people were exposed to a wave of unquantifiable energy. One of those people was you." Wells explained as Caitlin handed Bette her gloves as Bette looked perplexed. "You were in Central City ten months ago."

"Uh, I had just returned from Afghanistan. I was there defusing roadside bombs and shrapnel ripped through me." Bette said as she was putting on her gloves. "I was flown back Stateside. Spent months at the base recuperating. And next thing I know... I became the thing that almost killed me. And Eiling's favorite new lab rat."

"The dark matter must have combined with the bomb particulate inside your body." Caitlin deduced.

"I thought Eiling did this to me." Bette said, confused.

"Eiling is not smart enough to create someone like you but clever enough to see your value." Wells said.

"Do you know of any others who were changed?" Bette asked as Barry, Patty, Cisco, Caitlin and Wells looked uncomfortable.

"There have been a few." Caitlin said hesitantly.

"But no one that looks like you." Cisco said as Barry wiped his face, Bette blushed and Caitlin and Patty looked at Cisco with raised brows as he realized what he had said. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate." He chuckled awkwardly. "Please, don't leave."

"I know how to perform a lobotomy." Caitlin whispered as Cisco paled.

* * *

Bette was in the infirmary as they were running tests on her.

"Cell structure's unlike anything I've seen." Wells said.

"Her nitrogen levels are off the charts." Caitlin said as she was entering the infirmary.

"Can we help her?" Patty asked.

"To answer that, we have to understand how she works. To understand that, we have to study her in action." Wells said.

"You want her to blow stuff up." Cisco said, enthusiastic. "Yes. Now we're talking."

"Cisco, this isn't a game." Patty snapped.

"Detective Spivot is right. Not in here. She's too unstable." Wells said.

"I know." Cisco muttered.

"I know you know." Wells said.

Caitlin pulled out a bullet from Bette's wound before they realized it was a tracker and saw Eiling and his men in the elevator in the footage.

"Lock down the pipeline. Get Bette out of here. I'll take care of Eiling." Wells ordered.

* * *

"Harrison Wells." Eiling said as Wells faced him at the elevator. "How the mighty have fallen."

"General." Wells said politely.

"S.T.A.R. Labs. This place used to be so important." Eiling said as he looked around. "Tell me, what does one do after such a spectacular public failure?"

"One adapts. One evolves. One becomes intent on reversing one's fortune." Wells said.

"Always the idealist." Eiling noted.

"What do you want, Wade?" Wells crossed his arms.

"Where's my asset?" Eiling demanded.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Wells denied.

"We tracked her here, Harrison. Turn her over before you see the rest of your precious palace crumble." Eiling warned.

"Wade, Wade, Wade." Wells whispered, taunting as Eiling's men started to search the facility.

"We could've changed the world, you and I." Eiling noted before passing by Wells.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Bette threw a frisbee in the air as it exploded, while Cisco was testing her powers.

"427 kPa's. Her Trauzl rating is around 45. That's the same as any plastique." Cisco said before realizing he got a new codename. "'Plastique'. Ha! First try."

"Didn't really think this one through, did you?" Caitlin noted dryly as Barry followed Bette.

"Downrange insurgents started booby-trapping cars." Bette said, telling her story. "For the rest of my tour, I was terrified to touch another vehicle. Now I'm gonna spend the rest of my life terrified to touch another human being." She stopped, crossing her arms, turning to Barry. "Have they tried to help you?"

"Uh... they've helped me learn how to use my powers, not reverse them." Barry said.

"If they could reverse it so you weren't a metahuman, would you?" Bette asked.

Barry hesitated before answering. "A friend told me I was given my speed for a reason, that I was chosen. I don't know if I believe that but… I always wanted to help people." He admitted. Now I can." His phone buzzed as he picked it up. "I'm sorry."

Barry answered the call but sighed in frustration after finding out that Iris had posted another story about the Streak on her blog, this time with her name written on it, despite Barry's warnings.

* * *

_**Later, Jitters** _

"Sorry, we're closed." Iris said as she heard the bell ring before facing Barry, in his suit as she gasped. "Oh, my God. It's you."

"Iris West, I hear you've been writing about me." Barry said, vibrating his voice so that she would not recognize him.

"You are real. I should, um… let me just clean up..."

Barry quickly cleaned up the café before facing her again. "Meet me on the roof. I'll give you a head start." Iris went up on the roof as Barry was on the upper building. "I need you to stop writing about me." He ordered.

"There are a lot of people who need someone like you right now, to know that you're out there." Iris said. "I have so many questions. Where are you from?"

"I can't say." Barry said, speeding around her.

"Who are you?"

"I can't tell you that either."

"How can you do what you do?" Iris then noticed that he was on the upper rooftop as she sighed and stretched her arms. "You're a terrible interview."

"There's more to this than you can understand." Barry said, facing her. "Just trust me, please. I need you to stop."

"Can you stop? Running into buildings and rescuing people without them even knowing you're there?" Iris inquired.

"I don't do this for the glory." Barry said.

"So why do you?" Iris wondered before sighing. "Look, I have this friend and he had something terrible happen to him when he was a kid. And his whole life, he's been telling stories about this impossible thing. And people laughed at him, and shrinks analyzed him. And he's been searching for an explanation ever since. But now suddenly it's like he's lost his faith." She said sadly as Barry felt sad too. "But you, you are proof that he wasn't crazy." She turned around as Barry vibrated his face, so that she would not recognize him upon taking a closer look. "Help me save my friend."

"He's a lucky guy." Barry noted before he sped off.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Barry and Patty entered as they saw the looks on Wells', Caitlin's, Cisco's and Bette's faces.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did Eiling find out you're here?" Barry asked.

"No." Bette shook her head. "Caitlin was about to give me the not-so-good news."

"The shrapnel in your body has merged with you on a cellular level." Caitlin explained.

"The technology required to unsplice your DNA, it hasn't been invented yet." Wells said as Bette's eyes got wet.

"Bette..." Barry tried.

"It's OK." Bette breathed out. "Roger that. I... I just need a minute. Don't worry. I'm pretty sure I can cry without blowing stuff up." She said as she left, her voice on verge of breaking.

"What now?" Cisco wondered.

"She joins us. Becomes a part of the team." Barry suggested.

"Barry, you have an amazing ability to help people. She… makes things explode." Caitlin pointed out.

"She's the first metahuman not hell-bent on destroying the city." Barry protested.

"It's too dangerous." Wells said.

"Well, then what should we do? Lock her up in your Pipeline like an animal?" Patty sneered.

"I'm not suggesting she go in. But were she to remain at S.T.A.R. Labs, it would put all of us at risk." Wells said.

"From who, Eiling?" Barry asked.

"Eiling is a dangerous man, we do not want him as an enemy." Wells explained.

"After the lightning bolt, what if you hadn't found me? It could've been me. Hunted, on the run, cut off from everyone I know and care about. You guys saved me." Barry said, looking at all of them.

"And I wanna save her just as bad as you do, Barry. We all do." Caitlin said.

"But there is no way?" Patty asked as they shook their heads before Barry and Patty sighed in defeat.

* * *

"She's writing about the Streak for you?" Joe asked as he was with Barry and Patty in another part of S.T.A.R. Labs.

"To prove that the impossible exists." Barry said.

"And you didn't… tell her that you're… you?" Patty asked.

"It would just put her at risk. I didn't want to do that to her." Barry said.

"I guess we're not the only ones trying to help you find some faith." Patty noted as they and Joe chuckled.

* * *

Barry and Patty returned to the Cortex as they looked around.

"Where's Bette?" Barry asked.

"She left." Cisco said.

"What do you mean? Where'd she go?" Barry asked.

"She didn't say." Wells said.

"Where can she be?" Patty wondered.

* * *

"Looks like they've gone to the waterfront to rendezvous with Bette. She's turning herself in." Cisco said as the were watching the feed of Bette facing Eiling and his men at the waterfront.

"She's not turning herself in." Barry realized.

"Oh, my God…" Patty whispered as it hit them and Barry sped off.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Eiling was pacing as he was facing Bette at the waterfront with his men.

"All over the world, people are plotting to destroy our country. To end our lives. Brave American soldiers are gonna die in that fight. But they don't have to. Because of you..." Eiling pointed at Bette. "…we could have victory.

"All I've ever wanted was to make the world a safer place. And it will be... when you're not in it." Bette threw at Eiling's men some marbles she had charged as Eiling and his men ran off.

"Take cover!" Eiling ordered as the marbles exploded, knocking the soldiers down before Barry sped over to face Bette.

"What are you doing here?" Bette demanded.

"Being a soldier doesn't mean you're a murderer. Don't become one now." Barry pleaded before Eiling shot Bette as she fell down and Barry knelt to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't see him."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I'm glad you stopped me." Bette breathed out.

"I'm gonna get you back to S.T.A.R. Labs." Barry said, about to pick her up.

"Barry. Dr. Wells, he... he..." Bette didn't get to finish as she drew her last breath and tilted her head and Barry looked saddened before Bette started to glow purple.

"We have a problem." Barry said.

"Is Bette OK?" Cisco asked.

"No. Eiling killed her." Barry said, much to Cisco's and Caitlin's shock. "She's glowing. She's gonna detonate."

"Oh, my God." Caitlin gasped. "A mass that size, the explosion would be..."

"…devastating." Wells finished.

"Barry, you have to get her away from the city."

"But there's no time." Barry protested before turning to the waterfront as an idea hit him. "Can I run on water? I built up enough speed to run up a building. How fast do I need to go to run on water?"

"Assuming your weight... 450 pounds of force per step for vertical suspension." Cisco said, picking up his pen and notepad, calculating. "Accounting for fluid drag..."

"Approximately 650 miles an hour." Wells said.

"You have to outrun the blast, or you'll die too." Cisco said.

Barry picked up Bette's corpse as he ran on water, getting Bette as far from Central City as possible as he dropped her body and was running back as he was getting ahead of the blast and was at the shore, while staring at the geyser, where Bette exploded, sadly.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

" _Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. The military was simply conducting an underwater weapons test. There is no need for panic or alarm. Central City is safe, I guarantee you._ " Eiling said on the news.

"That guy is so full of crap." Patty sneered, glaring.

"He murdered Bette right in front of me, and there's nothing we can do to him?" Barry demanded as he turned to Wells.

"Powerful men have a way of avoiding consequences." Wells said.

"You gonna be OK?" Caitlin asked, worried.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"Barry… you walked on water." Patty noted.

"Puts you in pretty interesting company." Caitlin nodded.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

"Barry, what happened to Bette, isn't your fault." Patty said as they were at the bar.

"I didn't say it was." Barry said.

"You tried. That alone counts for something." Patty said, holding his hand.

"Is it going to always be like this?" Barry wondered. "The metas we face… they're either gonna end up in a morgue or locked in a cage under S.T.A.R. Labs."

"I don't know." Patty said. "But I refuse to believe these are our only options. We just need to keep looking for another way."

"When I got my speed, I started hoping I would find the man that killed my mom." Barry said. "But what happened with Bette made me wonder—"

"Don't." Patty interrupted him as she held his hand as he stopped, turning to her. "Doubting yourself, that's never going to help. I don't know where are we gonna end up, but what I do know is that you're not alone. Not anymore. We're here for you." She held his hand as Barry turned to her, smiling. They stared for a moment before kissing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	8. Girder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off his childhood bully, who got powers as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

The CCPD was chasing a yellow Humvee as Joe, Patty and Eddie were trying to clear the street, until Joe spotted a young boy, wearing headphones going across, not noticing he was about get run down.

"Son! Out of the way! Out of the way!" Joe yelled.

The boy froze in fear until Barry sped him to safety. Eddie, Patty and the cops opened fire at the Humvee but Eddie stared as the bullets sparked off the driver's face.

"What the hell?" Eddie demanded, staring in disbelief.

"Eddie, get back!" Patty tackled him to the ground before the Humvee would run him down as it drove through the cruiser blockade.

Barry sped in front of the Humvee as the driver stopped. "Step out of the vehicle."

"If you say so." The driver said as he went out and picked the door like if it was nothing.

"Uh-oh." Barry muttered.

Barry dodged, when the thief threw the door at him, as the door were embedded to the fence. Barry punched the thief in the face but it suddenly turned into metal as Barry's bones broke upon hitting him and he screamed in pain, clutching his wrist. The thief clenched his fist as it turned into metal and knocked Barry back as he groaned in pain. The thief neared him, smirking.

"Looks like you were born to take a beating." The thief said. Barry's eyes narrowed, as the sentence sounded familiar to him. He dodged and sped away before the thief would crush him with his fist as the thief smashed his fist into the pavement.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells, Caitlin and Cisco entered the Cortex and saw Barry unconscious on the floor.

"Barry?" Cisco said as they neared him.

"Barry, are you OK?" Caitlin asked as Barry groaned.

* * *

A few moments later, Barry was on the stretcher as Caitlin was putting an orthosis on his broken hand. "Thirteen fractures. That's a new record. And that's just in your hand. You also have a concussion, three cracked ribs and a bruised spleen. Even with your powers, you'll need a few hours to heal."

Barry nodded.

"What exactly did you hit?" Wells inquired.

"A man. A big, bad man." Barry said. "His skin changed when I hit him. Like it turned to metal."

"Interesting. A man of steel." Wells mused, his arms crossed.

"So, you went after a metahuman alone?" Cisco demanded. "Dude, why didn't you call us?"

"I didn't know what he was." Barry explained, trying to get up but again he groaned in pain. "Patty called that they needed help with a carjacker. Didn't know I was getting myself in over my head."

They nodded in understanding.

"You're lucky he didn't knock out your teeth. Those puppies don't grow back." Cisco said.

"Strange thing is I feel like I knew him." Barry said, trying to remember where he had heard the words before. ' _Looks like you were born to take a beating._ '

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked.

"He said something that was familiar." Barry said as Wells turned to him with piqued interest. "But he's gonna hurt someone. So how do I fight a guy that's made of steel?"

"We will find a way. Tonight, you heal." Wells ordered.

"Yeah." Barry nodded as he laid down on the stretcher.

* * *

_**The next day, CCPD** _

"Is your arm OK, Barry?" Patty asked as she picked his hand.

"It healed overnight. I'm fine." Barry said as she sighed in relief, while they approached Joe's desk as he was reviewing the interrogation video of Barry after his mother was murdered.

" _There was lightning in my house. Yellow and red lightning. There was a man in yellow. Then I was on the street. I don't know how I got there. Please, you have to believe me._ "

Joe put down his headphones and closed the laptop upon noticing Barry and Patty.

"Hey." Barry said.

"What happened to you last night?" Joe asked.

"Turns out our perp is able to turn into steel. He broke Barry's hand." Patty said as Joe got up.

"So he is metahuman." Joe realized.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"That particle accelerator is the gift that keeps on giving." Joe noted.

"Is there any good meta in this town, asides from you and Bette?" Patty whispered.

"I ask myself the same thing everyday." Barry said.

"You OK?" Joe asked.

"Relatively." Barry nodded. "Any idea who he is?"

"We haven't ID'd him yet." Patty said.

"Eddie's taking point while I run down a lead." Joe said.

"We're gonna have to work with him for now." Patty said.

"What, why?" Barry asked, confused.

"Because he saw something impossible that he's got questions about. Questions that I can't answer." Joe said, picking his case and jacket as he got up.

"In other words, make up some science-y stuff to throw him off." Barry said.

"Exactly." Joe nodded as he left.

* * *

"He stole the Humvee and evaded capture." Singh said, handing the detectives the files before Barry entered his office with Patty. "So pleased you could join us, Mr. Allen. Rough night?"

"Uh, just a little beat, sir." Barry said.

"As I was saying, our perp yanked three ATMs after he boosted the vehicle. ATM security cameras caught him on video. We got a hit in the database. Tony Woodward. History of violence, petty theft, assault, going way back to juvie." Singh said and Barry stiffened upon hearing the name, something which Patty noticed as Barry looked at the photos closely and paled. "Dropped off the radar 10 months ago. Looks like he's back."

Barry stared in shock, realizing it was his childhood bully.

"What is it? You know him?" Patty asked. "Barry." Barry came to as he turned to her.

"What?"

"You know this guy?" Patty whispered as Barry was about to open his mouth before Eddie approached them.

"Hey, Allen." Eddie asked.

"What is it, Eddie?" Barry asked.

"Do you have a minute?" Eddie asked as they followed him outside the office. "Listen, I saw something last night I just can't get my head around."

"Uh-huh." Barry nodded.

"I fired a dozen rounds at our car thief and it was like they sparked off of him." Eddie said, his face full of confusion.

"He might have been wearing a body armor or something." Patty shrugged.

"On his face?" Eddie raised his brows, skeptical.

"Um…" Barry tried to come up with something as Iris approached them.

"Hey. Barry. Patty." Iris turned to Eddie. "Hi, babe, I saw the news. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine. Which you'd know if you checked your messages. I tried you three times." Eddie said.

"We're gonna see if we can find a lead on this Woodward guy." Patty said as Barry nodded as they went out.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Joe went out from the elevator, facing Wells. "Dr. Wells."

"I guess you heard about Barry's incident last night. If you're looking for him, I think he's at the station." Wells said.

"I actually came here to see you." Joe said as Wells looked intrigued. "I need your help solving an old case of mine."

"What case is that?" Wells asked, his arms crossed.

"The murder of Barry's mother." Joe said, piquing Wells' interest.

* * *

"Your childhood nemesis is now an unstoppable metahuman. That is seriously messed up." Cisco mused.

"I had a childhood nemesis." Caitlin said, drinking her coffee. "Lexi La Roche. She used to put gum in my hair."

"Jake Puckett. If I didn't let him copy my homework, he'd give me a swirly." Cisco muttered.

"I didn't exactly have a childhood nemesis, unlike you, guys, but I sometimes was behind my classmates back in college. They liked to make fun of me." Patty noted.

"Now that we've established that we're all uber-nerds, what are we gonna do about Tony?" Barry demanded.

"Glad you asked." Cisco chuckled as he showed them a metal mannequin. "We're gonna train you, man. Karate Kid style. Behold." Barry and Patty stared. "I call him Girder."

"For the record, not my idea." Caitlin said.

"Fighting is physics. It's not about strength, it's not about size, it's about energy and power. Channel your speed the right way, you can totally take this bad boy down." Cisco said as Barry nodded, while Patty crossed her arms and Cisco picked up a remot. "Now, obviously, your Girder is a moving target. So..." He pulled a lever as the mannequin moved, while Barry just stared.

"I have ice and bandages standing by." Caitlin asked.

"Cisco, how is this going to help Barry beat a guy, who turns his skin into metal?" Patty questioned.

"Trial and error, Patty. Trial and error." Cisco said as Barry engaged the mannequin. Cisco moved the levers as the mannequin moved, while Barry attempted to pummel it. He dodged its punches until it hit him in the back and chest as Barry groaned, while falling down, clutching the spots where he had been hit.

"Barry! Are you OK?" Patty asked, kneeling towards him.

"I'm pretty sure I just dislocated my shoulder." Barry groaned.

They went back into the Cortex as Caitlin and Patty were trying to readjust his arm. "OK, I'm not gonna lie. This is gonna be quick but extremely painful." Caitlin said before Barry's phone rang.

"Oh, speaking of pain." Barry muttered before answering the call. "Eddie, hey."

" _Allen, we found the stolen Humvee in the alley at Fremont and Lawrence._ " Eddie said. " _Need you and Patty down here to do your thing._ "

"Great, I'll see you in a sec." Barry said, trying to suppress his groan as he hung up and laid down. "OK, let's do this."

"Sorry, Barry. This may hurt a lot." Patty said as she and Caitlin yanked Barry's arm as he screamed, while the bones in his arm cracked.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

"Do you really have to do him a chauffer, Spivot?" Eddie asked as Barry and Patty went out from her car and neared the crime scene, where was the stolen Humvee.

"I ask myself that a lot." Patty said.

"What do we got?" Barry asked.

"The rig Tony Woodward boosted last night. No sign of the stolen ATMs, probably got those where he's holed up." Eddie said. "Though he's gonna have a hell of time breaking them open."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Barry said as he opened his case and Patty sat next to him.

"You really enjoy this CSI stuff, do you, Patty?" Eddie noted.

"Yeah." Patty chuckled as Eddie then glanced at them both.

"How long has this been going on?" Eddie asked as Barry and Patty stopped.

"Well…"

"I…"

"Look, Eddie, we're trying to keep our lives separate, I mean, professionals at work and… you know how it is." Patty said.

"I get that. And don't worry, if Singh's gonna have complaints, I never told him about you." Eddie assured them as they examined the crime scene. "So, what do you think?"

"Judging by the mud and kegs, I'd say he got hammered, stole a big-ass truck and went joy-riding." Barry said.

"The kegs might be stolen too." Patty said. "Rusty Iron Ale is a microbrew from…"

"…Keystone. I know it. Let's check it out." Eddie said.

* * *

They drove to the brewing factory as Eddie showed the workers his badge. "Gentlemen. CCPD. Any chance some of your merchandise was stolen last night?"

The workers shook their heads. "No. I don't think so."

"Have you seen this man?" Patty asked, showing them a photo of Tony. One of them shook his head, while the other one turned around nervously, something which they noticed.

"You know Tony, don't you?" Barry asked.

"Hey." Eddie said as the man turned around. The man ran off as they started to chase him. "Allen, come on!"

Barry ran into a side alley to get ahead as the man was shocked to see him in front of him as he punched Barry before Eddie tackled him to the ground. Barry leaned onto the wall, clutching his face, groaning.

"Barry, are you OK?" Patty asked, nearing him.

"Oh, never better." Barry groaned.

"Get up." Eddie said, picking the man up.

"Unh. I didn't do nothing, man." The man said as Eddie grabbed him by his jacket.

"Then why did you run?" Patty demanded.

"Look, it was an accident." The man cried out.

"What was?" Eddie demanded.

"Tony falling, OK?" The man said. "But I swear to God, we didn't kill him."

"Go on." Patty said, crossing her arms.

"About ten months ago, Keystone Ironworks." The man said. "Boss was handing out pink slips. Tony gets his and he just snapped. He started beating the crap out of the guy. We pulled him off. Then the lights went out, some kind of power surge and Tony went over the railing right into a vat of molten scrap. Just gone."

Barry and Patty looked at each other, all the pieces falling into place.

"Lucky for you, he's still alive." Eddie said, cuffing the man, who looked shocked.

"What?" The man demanded.

"How did you get in front of us?" Eddie asked Barry.

"Shortcut." Barry said as Eddie dragged the man away, while Patty chuckled.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry was glaring at the mannequin, seething as Patty held him by his shoulder.

"Barry… I don't even know what to say. I know it has to be hard to face an old bully but…"

"Barry. Check it out." Cisco called out as they turned to him. "The gravel you pulled from Tony's ride contains 76.8% hematite, consistent with the mines at Keystone Ironworks."

"It was shut down ten months ago." Patty said.

"It's the perfect hideout." Barry nodded.

"Barry? Do you mind telling me about this?" Caitlin asked as she showed Barry the tablet with Iris's blog on the browser and the newest post on it. " _I HAVE INFO ABOUT SOMEONE YOU'ER LOOKING FOR. HE WAS HERE. YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME._ " She read as they all shot Barry looks as he looked awkward. "Now who could she be talking to?"

* * *

**_Later, CC Jitters_ **

Barry, dressed in his suit, sped into the café, facing Iris.

"I guess you got my message." Iris said.

"Are you OK?" Barry asked, vibrating his voice.

"Cop's daughter. I can handle myself." Iris said.

"Not with this guy." Barry shook his head.

"I knew him when we were kids." Iris said. "He didn't want to hurt me. He wanted to impress me. But he is fixated on you and not in a good way."

"Do you know where he went?" Barry asked.

"Said he had a place in West Keystone." Iris explained. "Bragged about how big it was, but I have no idea where.

"I do." Barry said, about to leave.

"Wait. There's something else." Iris said, causing for him to stop. "His hand, it transformed. Like an iron fist." She noticed how Barry lowered his head. "He's like you, isn't he?"

"Yes." Barry nodded. "And writing about me is what brought him to you."

"I know but maybe I can talk to him—"

"No. He's too dangerous. You need to stop. For your own sake." Barry said before he sped off as protective detail assigned by Eddie approached the café.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Barry was speeding through the city as Caitlin and Cisco were worried.

"Barry, talk to us. What are you doing?" Caitlin demanded before she turned to Cisco.

"Dude, don't run angry. We don't know how to defeat him yet." Cisco said.

Barry entered the steel factory, scouring around before he saw the broken vat, realizing it was the one in which Tony fell, when the particle accelerator had exploded. Barry followed the footprints on the ground until he saw the bottles of beer on the crates.

"This is definitely the place." Barry called out. He turned around as Tony punched him in the face.

"You're trespassing, freak." Tony snarled, throwing Barry to a shelf. "There's nowhere left to run." He threw down a shelf as it crashed on Barry, knocking him out.

* * *

Patty, Cisco and Caitlin entered Tony's hideout, looking for Barry.

"Barry?" Caitlin called out.

"Barry, where are you?" Cisco called out.

"Hey." Patty neared the shelf as she and Caitlin gasped upon seeing Barry unconscious and beaten up. "Oh, my God. Barry. Please, are you OK? Say something."

Patty and Cisco pulled Barry out as he groaned in pain, while Patty hugged him tightly.

"Never do that again. You scared the hell out of me." Patty panted out, freaked out.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"What were you thinking? What were you thinking?" Wells demanded as Caitlin was treating Barry's injuries. "I told you that we would figure out a way to deal with him."

"I'll heal." Barry grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"You can't heal when you're dead. He could have killed you." Wells snapped.

"I know, all right? I know!" Barry snapped back as he got up. "In the past 36 hours, I've had my ass handed to me twice by the guy that tortured me as a kid. I couldn't stop him then and I can't stop him now! Even with my powers, I'm still powerless against him!" He yelled in frustration.

"Not necessarily." Wells said. "Cisco." Cisco approached the computer. "Any material, if struck at a high enough velocity can be compromised."

"We ran an analysis on the metal in Tony's footprint." Cisco said. "Based on its density and atomic structure, if you impact it at just the right angle at just the right speed, you could do some serious damage."

"How fast would Barry need to run?" Patty asked as Cisco started typing and calculating.

"Factoring in the metal's tensile strength, estimated dermal thickness, atmospheric pressure, air temp, you'd have to hit him at approximately... Mach 1.1." Cisco said as Barry scoffed.

"You want Barry to hit something at 800 miles an hour?" Caitlin demanded.

"837, actually." Cisco corrected.

"That's more than the speed of sound." Patty said as both her and Barry gave him incredulous look. "He's never run that fast before. Have you?" She turned to Barry.

"I know." Cisco nodded. "He would create a sonic boom, which, as I said before, would be awesome."

"It's not like Barry can run that fast." Patty argued.

"Yet." Wells said.

"I can't believe we're actually entertaining this idea. I mean, he'd need a straight shot from miles away." Caitlin said.

"Yeah, 5.3 miles, theoretically." Cisco said.

"Do it right, you'll take him down." Wells said.

"And if he misses or does it wrong?" Patty pointed out.

"He'll shatter every bone in his body." Caitlin said, giving Barry a concerned look as Barry seemed uncertain.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Barry was training with Patty and Eddie self-defense as he punched into the mats Eddie had, while Patty held Barry's arms. "Clench your fists and watch your thumb or you'll break it."

"Thawne, Allen, Spivot." An officer said upon entering as they turned to him. "The unit watching Joe's daughter, they've been attacked. Iris is missing."

Eddie picked his jacket and was about to leave.

"Go, all right? We'll call Joe." Barry said as Eddie ran off, while Patty picked up her phone and Barry approached his laptop, calling S.T.A.R. Labs. "Guys, you there?"

"Yeah, man. What's up?" Cisco said.

"Tony took Iris. I need you to do whatever you can to help me find her. Satellites, security cameras, hack them all." Barry ordered.

"We're on it." Cisco said as Joe entered Barry's lab and saw the looks on Barry's and Patty's faces.

* * *

"Eddie, anything yet?" Joe asked.

"We have roadblocks on every major artery. Units are searching." Eddie said.

"We will find Iris, Joe." Singh assured him as he went out.

"You don't think he'll hurt her, do you?" Joe asked.

"Joe, worrying right now is not gonna help." Patty said.

"Sir. Sir. We got a fire alarm call at Carmichael Elementary." One of the officers told Singh.

"Dispatch the fire department. We'll send backup." Singh said.

Patty's eyes lit up in recognition as she heard the name. "Wait, Carmichael Elementary, isn't that…"

"…the school you and Iris went to." Joe finished, turning to Barry.

"And Tony." Barry nodded.

"Go." Joe ordered.

Barry was about to leave, when Patty held his hand. "Barry. Please. Be careful."

Barry nodded as she kissed him on his cheek.

* * *

**_Later, Carmichael Elementary_ **

"I'm not going out without a fight." Tony told Iris, once she had told him that the police was coming for him before they felt a gust of wind.

"Good, because you just found one." Barry said as Tony turned around.

"You just won't stay dead." Tony sneered, grabbing Iris. "Come to save your little fangirl?"

"This is between us. Let her go." Barry said as Tony let Iris go.

"Oh, I could. But I'd rather make her watch while I break every bone in your body." Tony growled, turning his body into steel as Barry slid in between his legs, dodging his punch and nearing Iris.

"Wait here." Barry said.

"OK." Iris nodded.

Barry again dodged Tony's punch and kicked him in the butt as Tony staggered. "Too slow, Tin Man." Barry taunted. Barry again dodged his punches as Tony roared in rage. "I've known guys like you. Peaked in high school, never got over it. All these powers, and look at you. Bully then, bully now."

Barry picked a flagpole and hit Tony in the face but Tony was unfazed as he grabbed it. Tony knocked Barry against the lockers and then against a wall as Iris gasped.

"No!" Iris exclaimed as Barry fell down. Tony steeled up as Barry remembered Joe's advice.

" _If you do come up against somebody you know you can't beat, be smart. It's OK to run the other way._ "

Barry sped out from the school as Iris stared and Tony snorted. "There goes your hero."

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"He made it out. Barely." Cisco said before they noticed that Barry stopped running.

"Why did he stop?" Caitlin wondered.

"He's miles away. 5.3 miles away." Cisco said as his and Caitlin's eyes widened, realizing what was Barry going to do as they saw Barry rush back in high speed.

Caitlin shot up from her seat. "Barry, wait—"

"No way. He's gonna do it. Go, man, go!" Cisco cheered.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry ran faster than ever before as the car windows shattered and alarms blared due to how fast he was running.

* * *

**_Carmichael Elementary_ **

Tony heard thunder as he turned around before Barry burst in through the door and punched Tony in the face, managing to knock him down despite that Tony had steeled up.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Supersonic punch, baby! Whoo!" Cisco cheered as Caitlin stared.

* * *

**_Carmichael Elementary_ **

Barry was on the floor, groaning as Tony got up before Iris punched him in the face, knocking him out.

"Nice cross." Barry said.

"I think I broke my hand." Iris groaned, clutching her hand.

"Me too." Barry groaned.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Tony was in a cell in the Pipeline before he came to and got up, banging at the door.

"Hey! What is this? Where the hell am I?" Tony demanded.

"Somewhere you'll never hurt anyone ever again." Barry said, his face hidden in the shadow.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tony demanded.

Barry stepped into the light, revealing his face to Tony. "You know who I am."

"Allen?" Tony stared in disbelief.

"The thing that happened to you, Tony, it happened to me too." Barry said. "But it didn't just give us abilities. It made us more of who we are. You got strong. I got fast. Fast enough to beat you. You used your gift to hurt people. Not anymore."

Barry was about to leave as Tony glared, banging at the glass, while the door to the Pipeline closed.

"Allen. Allen. Allen, don't walk away from me, Allen! Hey! Come back here! Allen! Allen!"

Barry raised his hands and made a victory gesture, glad that he had finally beaten his childhood bully.

"Finally beating a childhood bully. That must have felt amazing." Patty said.

"You have no idea." Barry said.

"Almost as good as proving me wrong about the supersonic punch?" Caitlin asked dryly.

"Actually, that part hurt. Like, a lot." Barry said before turning to them. "But I couldn't have done it without you, guys."

"I guess that's one ghost of the past buried." Patty teased as she held Barry's hand.

"I've been thinking about a new name. Not 'The Blur' or 'The Streak'. It's something I've been wondering about and Iris suggested it to me too tonight." Barry said.

"What do you want to be called?" Patty asked.

"The Flash." Barry said.

* * *

**_West House_ **

Joe was investigating the murder of Barry's mother until red and yellow blur entered the house as the lights flickered and when they turned on, the evidence had disappeared and Joe stared in horror to see Iris's photo pinned to the wall above the fireplace with a knife, into the wall carved "STOP OR ELSE"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	9. Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off with a metahuman, who drains him of his speed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry and Patty were examining a dead corpse burned into ashes as Joe and Eddie stared.

"I hope you both skipped your breakfast." Barry said.

"Whoa." Joe gapped.

"What the hell could do that?" Eddie demanded.

"2,400 degrees, give or take." Barry said.

"What's strange is that nothing else burned up, considering that this place is full of combustibles." Patty said as they looked around.

"Yeah." Barry nodded as he climbed on the rafters and pointed on the scorch marks on the ground. "See the soot on the ground where the cement is burnt?"

"Yeah." Joe nodded.

"That's evidence of arc blasts. Happens when high amperage currents travel or arc through the air." Barry said.

"The real question is, how was this guy electrocuted when there are no live wires or utility poles around?" Patty said.

"The first thing we need to do is ID him." Joe said as Barry nodded.

"Yeah." Barry got down and took a picture of the corpse.

"His face is melted off. How is that picture gonna help ID him?" Eddie questioned.

"I've got mad skills." Barry said as Patty chuckled.

"Please, don't ever say that again." Joe said.

"All right." Barry said as he and Patty noticed how on edge Joe was.

"Joe. Is everything OK?" Patty asked.

"I'm fine. Why?" Joe said.

"I don't know. You seem a little off." Barry said.

"No, I'm fine." Joe said, reliving the speedster's "visit".

"Alright." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Facial reconstructive software. It was designed for archeologists, and it should help us ID your crispy corpse." Cisco said.

"What happened to him exactly?" Patty wondered.

"Is there a metahuman out there that can control electricity?" Barry inquired.

"It'd take a serious electrostatic discharge to cause that tissue damage." Wells noted as the computer beeped.

"Guys, according to the software, there's an 82% chance your victim looked like this." Cisco said.

"82?" Barry asked, raising his brows.

"Hey, it was zero when you walked in here, pal." Cisco quipped.

"See if you can cross-reference him with the DMV database, it might help us ID him." Patty said.

"Absolutely. This software can do just about anything. Now that Felicity reprogrammed it." Cisco said, pulling out a profile. "Casey Donahue. No wife, no kids. Used to work at the Petersburg electrical substation.

"That can't be a coincidence." Caitlin said.

"That's weird. Someone just used his ID to enter the substation." Cisco said.

"The Petersburg grid is experiencing a power drain right now." Caitlin said as an alarm went off.

"Barry, be…" Barry sped off before Wells could finish. "…careful."

"He never listens." Patty said as they all sighed.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

The Flash sped into the power plant and saw a man drain energy from the generator.

"I'm pretty sure this is a restricted area." The Flash said as the metahuman, whose eyes were blackened, turned to him as the Flash looked apprehensive. The Flash dodged, when the metahuman fired a blast of electricity at him. "Easy there, zappy."

"I have to feed." The man said as Barry dodged the blasts again before the metahuman started to drain him of his energy as he was getting slower.

"Whoa, what was that?" Cisco demanded.

"More of that. I need more." The metahuman said.

"Barry, what's happening?" Wells asked as the man blasted some electricity at Barry, draining him of his speed. Barry groaned, falling down.

"Too much. Too much." The man said as he walked away.

" _Get out of there._ " Wells ordered. Barry tried to run but was unable to as he panted out. " _Run, Barry._ "

"I can't. My speed… it's gone." Barry said.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Barry was running on the treadmill but he was running as normally as he could.

"He runs slow even for a normal person." Cisco noted as Barry stopped and panted out in exhaustion.

"You can't just lose your powers. OK? Your DNA was transformed by the particle accelerator blast. There's no way to un-transform DNA." Caitlin said.

"Yeah? Tell that to the Uber driver who charged me 65 bucks to take me here." Barry snapped. "Had to say I was coming from a cosplay party."

"So we were wrong. This metahuman doesn't electrocute people. He siphons electricity, thereby removing your power." Wells said.

"Is there a way to undo that?" Patty asked. "I mean, Barry didn't lose his speed for good, did he?"

"We have to run tests." Wells said as Barry nodded.

"We've got to warn Joe." Barry said as he got up.

"Barry, we will find a way to restore your speed. I promise you that." Wells said.

* * *

Wells entered his secret room and turned on Gideon.

"Gideon, show me the future." Wells ordered.

" _Certainly, doctor._ " Gideon said as Wells saw the news article but there was no headline of the Flash anymore as he sighed.

"Run a complete search. Show any references to the Flash." Wells ordered.

" _Zero references to the Flash._ "

"Look again."

" _Zero references._ "

"Show any references to Barry Allen."

" _Zero references to Barry Allen._ "

"Look again!" Wells snapped.

" _I've searched 3,452 times, Dr. Wells. There's nothing._ " Gideon said as Wells seethed.

* * *

Barry was staring at his suit, contemplating.

"You think I'll ever wear it again?" Barry wondered.

"We don't know if you lost your speed for good." Patty said.

"I didn't have my speed for very long." Barry said, sadly. "But now that it's gone, it feels like part of me is gone too."

"With or without your speed, you're still you, Barry." Caitlin assured him.

"But I'm not." Barry shook his head. "I'm not the best version of me. I love being the Flash. I love everything about it. The feeling of running hundreds of miles per hour. Wind and power just rushing past my face. Being able to help people." He stared at his suit. "I'm not sure I can live without it."

"Look, Barry… you can't give up on hope so soon. If there's a way, we're going to find it." Patty said, holding his shoulder as Barry smiled.

"Farooq Gibran." Cisco said upon entering with his tablet.

"Who?" Barry asked.

"The powers vampire who jacked your speed. I hacked into surveillance footage from the substation. Once I got his face, it was easy to find a match." Cisco explained.

"He climbed an electrical tower the night of the accelerator explosion." Barry read.

"That would explain his powers." Patty said.

Suddenly, an alarm went off as they turned to the computer to see Farooq outside S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. This is not happening." Cisco groaned.

* * *

"Dr. Harrison Wells, I need to see you!" Farooq yelled. "Come on. I know you're inside. Open the door. I just wanna talk, Dr. Wells."

* * *

" _Wells, let me in!_ "

Wells narrowed his eyes as he was in his private room, seeing Farooq.

* * *

Farooq pulled the cables out of a generator as the power blacked out in S.T.A.R. Labs. They felt tremors as Farooq blasted the door to the shipping area.

"He's inside." Barry realized.

Patty's phone rang as she answered the call. "Yes, Captain, what is it?"

" _Patty, where are you?_ " Singh asked.

"I've been following a lead on the scorched corpse we found this morning with Barry. Is everything OK?" Patty asked.

" _We've got a hostage situation at the precinct. William Tockman has at least ten hostages, two officers down. Joe's inside, so is his daughter._ " Singh said.

"Damn it. I don't think I'm gonna make it back." Patty groaned.

" _I'll call you, when I know more._ " Singh said as he hung up.

"That's not good." Patty said.

"What is it?" Barry asked.

"There's a hostage situation in CCPD, they're holding Joe and Iris there, alongside others." Patty said as he paled.

"I need my powers back now." Barry said.

"I have a theory. It's untested." Wells said.

"I'm willing to roll the dice." Barry said.

"OK." Wells nodded. "You've lost your speed. Yes. But nothing has changed inside you on a subatomic level. In other words, your cells are still primed."

"They just need a jump-start." Cisco said.

"OK, how do we do that? How do we jump-start me?" Barry asked.

"We need to replicate the initial jolt to your system." Wells said.

"How exactly are we going to do that with no power in the building?" Patty pointed out.

"Besides, that would mean a peak current of at least 20,000 kiloamps." Cisco said.

"Are you insane? That's more electricity than they give to people in the electric chair." Caitlin said incredulously.

"Caitlin, with Farooq in the building, we're all looking at a death sentence here." Wells said.

"The spare generator's offline. If we reboot it, we could get a charge that big." Cisco said.

"We need something that can transmit the load from the generator to Barry's body without shorting out." Wells noted.

"The treadmill. My baby could take the charge." Cisco said.

"But Barry might not." Patty pointed out.

"Well, that's up to Mr. Allen." Wells said as Barry was about to leave.

"Where are you going?" Caitlin asked.

"I'm gonna talk to him." Barry said.

"Nope. Nope." Wells shook his head.

"OK, you didn't see him at the substation. He needed to feed." Barry said. "I got super-speed out of the particle accelerator blast. But his best friends died. He woke up with a disease."

"Earlier today, you worked a crime scene, where this metahuman electrocuted an innocent man. He's a murderer. And you are powerless to defend yourself against him." Wells pointed out as Barry sighed.

"He may just need help like I did. I don't need my powers to offer him that. I have to try." Barry said.

"Look, he may be too far gone… but we need to try." Patty said. "I'm not sure a gun is going to stop this guy."

* * *

Barry and Patty went down the corridor and stopped upon facing Farooq as they raised their hands.

"Hey, whoa. Whoa, easy. We're not gonna hurt you." Barry said.

"You can't hurt me." Farooq smiled. "Where is Harrison Wells?"

"Look, we know what happened to you. The night of the accelerator explosion, it changed you. It changed me too." Barry said as Farooq lowered his hands as it hit him.

"You were the one in the red suit." Farooq said. "I fed from you. I have to keep feeding."

"We know this can't be easy and it must scare you to death… but there are scientists here. Nobody has to get hurt." Patty pleaded. "We know you didn't mean to hurt anyone. Please. Let us help you."

"The night of the explosion, when the light hit me, it stopped my heart." Farooq said. "Jake and Darya."

"They were your friends." Barry said.

"I woke up and they were beside me, dead." Farooq said, his voice breaking. "They tried to give me CPR. They were touching me and I electrocuted them."

"That wasn't your fault." Patty said.

"I know." Farooq nodded as he charged his hands. "Wells did this to me."

"Farooq, you need to listen to us—"

Barry was knocked back as Farooq blasted him and Barry slid down the floor.

"Barry!" Patty exclaimed, nearing him as Cisco sealed the corridor as Farooq fired another electric blast.

"Not sure how long that'll hold." Cisco said.

"Done being noble, Mr. Allen?" Wells said dryly. "Caitlin, Detective, get him to the treadmill. Cisco, bring the generator online. Make sure Barry gets the charge."

"What? You're not coming with me? I am not leaving you." Cisco protested as Wells turned to him.

"Listen to me. Of everything I've done in my life, of everything I have invented, my most important creation is the Flash. Barry Allen must have a future. Now, go. Go!" Wells ordered as Cisco ran off.

* * *

"Barry, you're lucky he didn't stop your heart." Patty said as she and Caitlin were examining his wounds.

"I'm not healing fast anymore." Barry groaned. "That's unfortunate."

"Don't worry." Caitlin said as she started connecting cables to the treadmill. "When Dr. Wells has a theory, he's usually right."

"What if something happens to Joe and Iris first?" Barry breathed out before they heard cracking of electricity as they paled to see Farooq in the lab before they hid under the window.

* * *

Wells opened the door to the Pipeline, where Tony was in his cell.

"Come to check on your pet? Why don't you just kill me, huh? Get it over with." Tony yelled.

"Quid pro quo." Wells smirked. "That's Latin, Mr. Woodward. You've heard of Latin? Quid pro quo means "something for something." And in this case that something is your freedom. I'm prepared to grant it to you."

Tony steeled up and slammed the door. "How do you know I won't kill you?"

"Let's call it a calculated risk. One I'm willing to take." Wells said.

"Really?"

"That's right."

"Why would you do that?

"Because... there is another metahuman loose in this facility." Wells revealed as Tony seemed intrigued. "And I want you to kill him."

* * *

Barry, Patty and Caitlin were in the lab, hiding as Farooq opened the door.

"Did you know the human body generates electricity? The average person gives off 342 watts. And I can smell it coming from you." Farooq said.

Patty held Barry's hand as Cisco flipped the switches and fuses and turned on the power in the building as Farooq left.

Barry, Patty and Caitlin went out from their hideout as Barry got up on the treadmill.

"Turn on the treadmill." Barry ordered.

"You're still hurt." Caitlin protested.

"We don't have time!" Barry snapped.

* * *

Farooq was scouring the corridors before Tony punched him. Farooq blasted him with electricity but Tony was unfazed.

* * *

"Barry, it might kill you." Patty pointed out as she and Caitlin were at the lever.

"We don't have a choice! If you don't, we all could die!" Barry snapped.

"I already lost someone I cared about in this building. I can't do it again." Caitlin sobbed.

Barry took a breath as he turned to them. "Listen. Someone once told me that I was struck by that lightning for a reason. That it chose me. I'm not sure I believe it. Right now, it doesn't matter what I believe." He took a breath, leaning onto the treadmill. "What do you believe?"

They stared before Caitlin was about to pull the lever.

"Wait." Patty said before she neared Barry and pulled him in for a kiss. "Barry… in case you don't survive…"

Barry nodded. "I know." He turned to Caitlin. "Do it."

Caitlin pulled the lever as Barry was electrocuted and knocked back.

"Barry!" Patty cried out.

"Oh, my God. Are you OK? Did you feel anything?" Caitlin asked as Barry tried to vibrate his hands.

"It didn't work." Barry panted out.

"Don't ever do that to me again." Patty said, hugging him tightly.

* * *

They went outside and saw that Tony was knocked back. "Tony. Tony, what are you doing?" Barry asked, nearing him.

"Come on. You know me, Allen. I never run from a fight." Tony groaned.

Barry patted him. "All right. Well, stay with me, OK? You're good."

Tony panted out. "Run." He breathed out before closing his eyes as he laid down.

"What?" Barry demanded, not believing that his childhood bully had just died.

Patty and Caitlin gasped as Farooq showed up.

"Barry." Caitlin said.

"Run!" Patty ordered as they ran off to avoid another blast from Farooq.

* * *

"I can't believe he's dead." Barry panted out as they hid in the room with the fuses, while Caitlin was bandaging his wounds.

"Dr. Wells?" Cisco asked, worried.

"No. No. Tony Woodward." Barry said.

"He escaped the Pipeline." Caitlin said.

"He must have gotten out, when the blackout hit S.T.A.R. Labs." Patty noted.

"Not possible. The Pipeline was designed to withstand power outage." Cisco protested. "Someone had to have let him go."

Patty narrowed her eyes. "Well, it wasn't either of us, so that means…"

"I did it. I released him." Wells said upon entering as they all shot him incredulous looks.

"Why?" Barry demanded.

"To divert our intruder's attention while we worked to restore your speed." Wells said.

"So, what, he was a distraction?" Patty demanded.

"An unnecessary one as it turns out, it seems the plan has failed." Wells said as Barry looked at his hands, while Cisco and Caitlin lowered their heads and Patty glared at Wells.

"I have his blood on me. How could you do that?" Barry demanded.

"You're showing sentiment for a man who tormented you as a child." Wells said coldly.

"Tony might've been a bully then and now, but he didn't deserve to die." Barry snapped.

"Does Caitlin, or Cisco, or Detective Spivot, or me, or you?" Wells countered. "I had a choice to make, him or us. I chose us without a second thought." He said coldly.

"Well, all your talk about miracle cures and scientific breakthroughs but you don't care about people at all." Barry snapped.

"Maybe you care too much, Barry. I know being a hero is important to you. I respect your ideals. I just don't have the luxury of sharing them." Wells said.

"I forgot. Your game's chess. We're all just pawns to you. Right? So, what's your move, doctor? Which one of us gets sacrificed next?" Barry demanded.

"Look, we can discuss this later, right now we need to find a way out of here." Patty said.

"We just left him on D-level." Barry said.

"We'll never make the main entrance from here." Caitlin said.

"What about the garage? The mobile lab van?" Cisco suggested.

"It's my move, Mr. Allen. And I say we make a run for it." Wells said.

"Oh, my God. Barry, look." Caitlin said, examining Barry's blood on the computer. "Your cells are rapidly regenerating."

Barry tried vibrating his hand. "I still don't have my speed."

"It must be mental." Wells said. "Not physical."

"So, what, he's got self-doubt or something?" Patty questioned.

"The yips." Cisco said. "Like when a second baseman all of a sudden can't throw to first or a golfer tries to putt, and they get all embarrassed and upset. That makes the yips worse, and it's a hot mess. They feel like even more of a failure."

"That's not helping." Barry snapped.

Patty held his hand. "Whoever told you that he believes that the lightning chose you… I believe he was right. You can be a hero, Barry. I know that. You need to believe in yourself."

They felt tremors and heard electricity crackling.

"Let's move." Wells ordered.

* * *

They went into the garage as Cisco pointed at the van.

"Second van. Keys are inside." Cisco said.

"Come on." Barry started the van. "Get in! Come on!" Suddenly, the van engine stopped, just as Wells' wheelchair as lights flickered.

"Oh, no." Patty paled.

"He's here." Wells said.

Farooq showed up and Barry dodged as Farooq blasted at him.

"Oh, my God, are you OK?" Caitlin demanded as she, Cisco and Patty helped him get up. "Did he hit you?"

"Yeah. I'm OK." Barry said.

"Guys." Patty got up, stepping in front of Barry, Caitlin and Cisco and pulled out her gun, aiming at Farooq, who neared them. "Not another step! Or I will shoot you!" Patty yelled as Caitlin, Barry and Cisco backed off.

Farooq charged his hand, about to kill Patty.

"Hey!" Wells shouted as Farooq turned around. "You're here for me."

"Finally, you show your face." Farooq said.

"Well, I wasn't exactly eager to be killed." Wells said.

"Neither were my friends." Farooq sneered.

"I know." Wells nodded, remorseful. "I hurt a lot of people that night."

"People?" Farooq spat. "You don't even know their names."

"Jake Davenport. Darya Kim. Ralph Dibny. Al Rothstein. Grant Emerson. Will Everett. Bea De Costa. Ronnie Raymond." Wells listed as he turned to Caitlin, while mentioning Ronnie's name. "I know the names of every person, who died that night. They mattered. And the fact that the world is now deprived of their potential is something that I have to live with every day, but these people..." He turned to Barry, Cisco, Caitlin and Patty. "These people have done nothing wrong. You wanna punish me? Fine. Let's do that. But let these people live."

Farooq stared and considered. "You died that night too." He fired a blast of electricity, knocking Wells down from his chair.

"No!" Barry exclaimed, staring in horror at his mentor being killed.

"You just didn't know it until today." Farooq continued, about to finish Wells off.

Barry's eyes were glowing with electricity as he suddenly grabbed Wells in superspeed before Farooq's blast would hit him and neared him to Caitlin, Cisco and Patty. Barry put on his Flash suit and faced Farooq before he dodged the blasts. Farooq again started to drain Barry's energy but he groaned as it became too much to bear as he fell on his knees and then collapsed to the ground as Barry knelt down, panting out in exhaustion.

"Iris." Barry breathed out as he sped off into CCPD and saw Tockman in cuffs and Eddie on a gurney with bandaged arm as he sighed in relief.

* * *

"We could've called him Blackout." Cisco said as Caitlin put Farooq's body into the cell in the Pipeline.

"He had a name, Cisco." Wells said.

"I'm still not sure what happened. Why didn't he just siphon all my powers like before?" Barry wondered.

"Because you finally stopped thinking about your powers and just connected to them." Caitlin said as she showed him the tablet with the sample of Barry's blood. "Look. This is a sample of your blood from just after you were struck by lightning. Now your cells are generating more energy than ever before."

"So, he what, overloaded?" Patty asked as Caitlin nodded.

"It was more energy than the meta could safely handle." Caitlin explained. "It's almost like he choked on you."

"What does that mean?" Cisco asked.

"I think it means you kicked it up a notch." Wells said. They were about to leave, when Barry and Patty turned to him.

"Look, Dr. Wells… I think that Barry and I owe you an apology." Patty said.

"What we said about how you don't care about people..."

Wells raised his hand, stopping them. "Mm. No. Look. There is a reason that my biography describes me as arrogant, prickly, brusque."

" _At times, contemptuous._ " Barry quoted. "I read it twice."

"You were right. I don't care much for people. I find them misinformed. Shortsighted." Wells said.

"Then what's the point of all this?" Patty asked, pointing around the S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Because I believe in a better future. One that I very much want to see. One that you are a part of. I might not much care for people, Barry, but I care about you." Wells said.

* * *

_**Later, Central City General** _

Barry and Patty entered with flowers as Eddie was on stretcher, with Joe and Iris at his side.

"Hey, Allen. Spivot." Eddie said, clearly on meds.

"Hey, Eddie." Barry said.

"Flowers? That's so nice." Eddie chuckled.

"Where were you all night?" Iris asked.

"We were working a lead for a dead guy and got stuck in the traffic because of the blackout." Patty said as they hugged Iris.

"Traffic jam." Eddie laughed. "Classic."

"He is on pain meds. Lots of them, but he's gonna be OK." Iris sighed. "It's been some night. I am gonna get some coffee. I'll be back."

"Do it." Eddie said.

Iris left as Joe dropped the vase with flowers before Barry quickly grabbed it.

"Awesome. I guess you're feeling better." Joe whispered.

"Oh, yeah." Barry nodded.

"Did you guys see that?" Eddie asked, confused.

"I think that's just the meds." Patty said as Eddie chuckled.

"Right. I forgot." Eddie laughed.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells entered the Time Vault and was relieved to see that the news article about The Flash vanishing in the Crisis, was back on the hologram but narrowed his eyes upon seeing that the byline was changing from "Iris West-Allen" into "Julie Greer" and then "Evan Gibson". He then narrowed his eyes even more as Gideon showed him Patty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, in episode 1x07, Wellsobard Thawne said to Farooq that Ralph Dibny was among the dead victims of the particle accelerator explosion, yet in Season 4, Joe and Barry remembered Ralph as a dirty CCPD cop who got fired. It's a surprise Barry remembered him as a cop who got fired and not as a victim of the explosion. Retcon. Plus, it wasn't until later, when the news article about The Flash vanishing that Thawne had in Time Vault, had Iris's name on it and the first half of Season 1, the article was written by Evan Gibson.
> 
> The CCPD subplot with Clock King and the hostage situation would remain the same.
> 
> I'm skipping the crossover part since it would have no impact on this story.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	10. The Man in Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry finally faces off with the man, who murdered his mother years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you are disappointed I didn't do the crossover. I originally planned to but when I think about it, it wouldn't be much different, asides from the addition of Patty, who would most likely only be disapproving of Oliver's extreme methods but probably not to the same extent as Joe and Wells and she'd probably be more serious in the second half of the crossover, where Harkness would be involved. I've been considering what could be changed with the inclusion of Patty but then I figured that not much really but that's just my respectful opinion.
> 
> If you guys think Patty could do more in the crossover, well, I'm all ears, I'd certainly be entertained to know how others would handle it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Gosh, I can't believe you really bought that." Patty said, as she unwrapped the gift to reveal the teddy bear.

"I remember you mentioning your Dad bought it to you, when you were a kid." Barry said as they kissed.

"Merry Christmas, Barry."

"Merry Christmas, Patty."

"I think I can bring into S.T.A.R. Labs Grandma Ester's eggnog. That should help." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Merry Christmas." Barry said, handing Caitlin, Cisco and Wells the presents from the bag. "Just a small token of my gratitude for everything you guys have done for me."

"I think I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say you've been a gift for us, Barry." Wells said as Barry pulled out a thermos flask from the bag.

"What's that?" Caitlin asked.

"This is compliments of Iris. Grandma Esther's famous eggnog." Barry said.

"It kind of has weird taste at first but you're going to enjoy it." Patty said.

"That's what I'm talking about." Cisco said.

"Ahem. Maybe later for me. Wouldn't wanna drink and drive." Wells said, looking grumpy as he drove off, much to Barry's and Patty's confusion.

"What's wrong? Is it the gifts?" Patty asked.

"No." Caitlin shook her head, her and Cisco looking solemn before it hit Patty.

"Oh. Christmas." Patty said and Cisco nodded.

"This used to be his favorite time of the year but the accident happened before Christmas, so it kinda ruined the holidays." Cisco said.

"I'm gonna go get him a present. Maybe that will cheer him up." Caitlin offered as she picked the present from Barry. "Thank you very much."

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Patty said.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

Caitlin was going out from the mall after buying presents, talking on the phone with Cisco.

"It was that or Stephen Hawking's new autobiography and we both know how he feels about Hawking. OK, I'll talk to you later. Bye, Cisco." She hung up before noticing someone was sneaking up on her as she was nearing her car but as she looked into the reflection on the window, she couldn't believe her own eyes. He had longer and unkempt hair but…

Caitlin turned around as the man was walking away, while she followed him. As he stopped at the corner, Caitlin stared in disbelief as his hands and head flamed on and the man turned around to reveal her reportedly deceased fiancé's face. Caitlin walked away and stared in shock, processing what she just saw.

* * *

**_Later, Mercury Labs_ **

The police answered to the breaking and entering as Barry and Patty were examining the dead guards.

"Hey. What are you thinking?" Joe asked.

Barry and Patty got up.

"The blood splatter patterns and trajectory of the remains... only a high-speed collision could have done this." Barry said.

"But this is tight area. There's no way one can do such damage to a human in this space, unless he was moving really fast somehow." Patty said.

"Get this." Eddie said as they turned to him. "The witness says all he saw was a blur. Sound familiar?"

Barry, Patty and Joe looked at each other in shock before approaching the witnessing scientist.

"You saw a blur? What was it?" Barry asked.

"Whatever it was, it was looking for something." The scientist said, clearly still in shock.

"Can you describe this blur? What did it look like?" Patty asked

The scientist took a breath. "Uh… like a man... in some kind of yellow suit."

Barry, Patty and Joe tried to mask their shock.

"OK." Barry said before he, Patty and Joe went aside before Joe grabbed them both. "We have to check our files. Joe, you heard him. The man that killed my mom, he's back."

"I know. He's been in town for a few weeks now." Joe said.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Patty asked, her and Barry confused.

"He paid a visit to me at the house. He took the evidence from your mom's case. The files are gone." Joe said.

"Why wouldn't you tell us this sooner?" Barry demanded.

"I couldn't." Joe said.

"Why?" Barry asked.

"Because he threatened to kill Iris." Joe said with a terrified look, much to their shock.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"The witness described seeing a yellow blur. Just like the one that killed Barry's mother." Joe said.

"Then we need to get cracking and stop this speed psycho." Cisco said before shaking his head. "That... I wasn't trying to give him a name."

"Whatever he wanted in Mercury Labs, according to the witnesses, he killed security guards to get to it. The crime scene was a floor with highly secured vaults." Patty said.

"Well, whatever it was, he wanted it badly enough to kill for it." Wells said.

"Doctor, what do you know about this Mercury Labs?" Joe inquired.

"Mercury was one of S.T.A.R. Labs' major competitors until our little setback and then..." Wells clapped his hands. "…it catapulted to the forefront, led by..." He showed a photo on the monitor. "...Dr. Christina McGee, brilliant but egocentric physicist."

"It says here Dr. McGee has secured half a billion dollars in private funding to develop, and I quote, 'prototypes for the technology of the future.'" Cisco read.

"Well, I'll be..." Wells seemed intrigued. "Tina's messing with tachyons." Joe turned to him with a confused look. "Superluminal particles." Wells explained.

"Of course." Joe said, although he obviously still had no idea. "So, what could someone do with one of those..."

"Tachyons." Wells said.

"Thank you." Joe nodded.

"Well, I don't know." Wells sighed. "Become invincible. If you could devise a matrix stable enough to harness their power, you could..." He hit his fist onto his hand. "…travel faster than light."

"He's gonna try to get them again. So, we need to get what Mercury has and use it as a lure." Barry said.

"Exactly right." Wells nodded. "Cisco, Caitlin, let's start engineering a trap."

"You got it." Cisco said.

"Of course." Caitlin nodded as they left.

* * *

**_Later, Jitters_ **

Iris was serving coffee as Caitlin approached her. "Iris."

"Caitlin. What are you doing here?" Iris asked as she was picking coffee from a counter.

"Oh. It's been a long day." Caitlin sighed.

"It's only noon." Iris said, confused.

"I didn't sleep much last night." Caitlin sighed.

"Well, me, either." Iris said, pouring some coffee, while serving it.

"Um, so I was catching up on your blog and this story caught my eye about a man whose head and hands burst into flames." Caitlin said.

"The Burning Man." Iris realized.

"Yeah." Caitlin nodded.

"I haven't really updated that story in a while, but there are some reports I could send you." Iris offered.

"That'd be great. Thank you." Caitlin said.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

"Barry Allen. And this is Detective Patty Spivot. Thank you for coming in." Barry said as they shook hands with Dr. McGee.

"Dr. Tina McGee. I assume this is about last night's break-in?" McGee asked.

"Yes and no." Wells said ominously.

"That's usually how things are with you, aren't they, Harrison?" McGee glared at him.

"We think that whoever broke into Mercury Labs wanted one of your prototypes." Patty explained.

"You'll have to narrow that down. We have literally hundreds of projects in development." McGee said.

"One containing tachyonic particles." Barry said.

"We've had encouraging success with tachyons, yes but there's still a significant gap between our prototype and any real-life application." McGee nodded.

"We're trying to catch whoever broke into Mercury Labs and we were hoping we could use your prototype as a bait." Patty said as they glanced at Wells.

"Us? You're assisting the police now, Harrison?" McGee asked Wells, sounding skeptical.

"I'm a consultant on this particular case." Wells said. "Listen, Tina, once this man is apprehended, your prototype will be promptly returned. You know nobody wants to ensure the future's technology more than me."

"Mr. Allen, Detective Spivot, I appreciate the CCPD's concerns but Mercury is quite capable of protecting its own assets." McGee said. "Good luck with your manhunt." She left as they were considering their options.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Caitlin was just staring as Cisco was trying to show her his suggestions on how to catch the speedster but she seemed to be ignoring him.

"Are you OK?" Cisco asked, upon noticing how contemplative she looked, not even listening to him.

"Ronnie's alive." Caitlin revealed, much to his surprise. "I saw him, Cisco. I think he was following me—"

"Caitlin. Ronnie died. He was vaporized in the accelerator when it went critical." Cisco said, thinking Caitlin was in denial.

"Ronnie's alive, and he's out there, alone and scared. And I need your help to find him." Caitlin said as Cisco considered.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

Barry was staring at the board on the evidence of his mother's murder, contemplating.

* * *

**_Fourteen years ago_ **

_"Ouch." Young Barry said as Nora was wiping his face._

_"Your bruise is already healing." Nora said._

_"Still hurts, though." Barry said._

_"Not for much longer, honey. Here, come on." Nora put a blanket on Barry as he laid down. "I'll keep the light on for you."_

_"Were you ever afraid of the dark?" Barry asked._

_"If I turn this light off now, would you be scared?" Nora asked._

_"No." Barry shook his head._

_"That's because I'm here with you." Nora assured him. "See, you're not afraid of the dark, Barry. You're afraid of being alone in the dark. And that goes away when you realize something. You're never really alone."_

_Barry smiled as Henry entered._

_"Time for bed." Henry said._

_"I'm thirsty." Barry said._

_"Ah, now you're stalling." Henry said as he leaned onto the bed. "But I got you covered, buddy." He kissed Barry on his forehead. "Good night, slugger."_

_Nora leaned on and smiled. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful boy." She kissed Barry on his forehead as they smiled at each other._

_"You can turn off the light." Barry said as Nora flipped the switch and turned off the light._

* * *

_Suddenly, Barry heard some thunder as he came to and saw that the water in his aquarium was floating in the air. Barry went downstairs and saw his mother on the floor, screaming, surrounded by red and yellow lightning as Nora screamed._

_"Mom! Mom!" Barry wailed._

_"Nora!" Henry called out._

* * *

**_Present, CCPD_ **

"Barry."

Barry turned to see Patty as she neared the board.

"Fourteen years and now we have a lead." Patty said. "Why would he show up now?"

"I don't know." Barry shook his head.

"Barry…" Patty took a breath. "We'll find a way to stop this guy and clear your father's name. I promise you that." She held Barry's hand as he nodded.

Barry then approached the window and leaned onto the windowsill before he noticed a man in yellow suit standing on the opposite rooftop, realizing who it was.

"What is it, Barry?" Patty asked before noticing the man in yellow. "Oh, my God…"

The man in yellow sped off with red lightning.

"Barry, wait, don't—" Barry sped out from the lab before Patty could stop him. "Barry!"

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry chased the man in yellow before facing him in an alley as Barry stared in disbelief.

"It was you. You were the one in my house that night." Barry said as the speedster was vibrating his face and his eyes glowed red. "You killed my mother! Why?!" He demanded, trying to understand.

" _If you wanna know that, you're gonna have to catch me._ " The speedster taunted, vibrating his voice.

Barry chased after the speedster, running across the city. The speedster seemed much faster than him as Barry was barely able to keep up until they ended up in a football stadium as lights turned on and Barry and the speedster were facing each other.

Barry and the speedster rushed at each other but the speedster knocked Barry down on the ground as Barry stared at the man in yellow.

" _Not fast enough, Flash._ " The speedster gloated before they both got up and ran through the stadium.

Barry and the speedster exchanging blows but it was obvious that the speedster was more skilled than Barry and was playing with him as the speedster knocked Barry down on the ground as they returned to the playing ground. The speedster kicked Barry, sending him rolling away as Barry stared at the man in yellow.

"Who are you?!" Barry demanded, not understanding.

" _You know who I am, Barry._ " The speedster said. Barry got up, attempting to punch him but the speedster was much faster and more skilled than him, beating him and knocking him down on the ground again.

Barry got up, glaring at the man in yellow. "I don't know who you are!"

" _But you do, Barry. We've been at this a long time, you and I. But I'm always one step ahead._ " The speedster gloated. Barry attempted to punch him but the speedster lazily dodged before slapping him in the chest and then getting behind him and pinning him down to the ground. " _It is your destiny to lose to me, Flash. Just as it was your mother's destiny to die that night._ "

The speedster sped off as Barry stared, wondering what the hell just happened as he laid down, groaning in pain.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"He acted like he knew me, like we'd done this before." Barry said, filling Joe, Patty and Wells in.

"He was antagonizing you, Bar." Joe said.

"I would get close, and he'd just pull away. This was just some sick game to him." Barry said.

"You'll catch him, we'll help." Wells offered.

"No, you don't get it, all right?" Barry shook his head. "His speed, it is… it's beyond me. I'm not the fastest man alive. He is. So how do we catch somebody that even I can't keep up with?" He demanded, clearly agitated from being beaten by the man in yellow, who had murdered his mother.

"The beautiful thing about force fields, Mr. Allen, is they're impervious to speed." Wells said. "Now, we're almost finished fabricating the trap. All that remains is for Detective West to procure the bait."

"I'm on it." Joe nodded as Barry and Patty were about to follow him. "Barry, why don't you stay here?"

"No, Joe, today is not the day to tell me to stay behind." Barry said as Joe and Patty sighed, knowing he was going to react like that.

"Just be careful, Barry." Patty said.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"If Judge Hank was gonna sign this, he would've done so already." McGee said as Joe showed her the search warrant.

"Look, I'm sure you don't want this investigation to get any more public than it's already been, do you, Doctor?" Joe argued.

"This has Harrison Wells written all over it with big black letters. I am not giving you my tachyon prototype." McGee snapped.

Barry took a breath as he tried a different tactic. "It was quite the tour of your facility, Doctor." He said. "You were fine to let us dumb cops walk around but I majored in physics and chemistry and I saw a lot of stuff that Science Showcase Magazine would love." Joe and Patty threw him surprised looks. "So should I call their editors directly, or just leave a few posts on their website?"

McGee glared, realizing she had been pushed into a corner. "You'll have the tachyon device within the hour. I see why Harrison holds you in such esteem, Mr. Allen. You're very much alike." She told Barry coldly before leaving.

"Blackmail? Really?" Patty asked, mix of disapproval and surprise in her eyes.

"Desperate times…" Barry shrugged.

"Nicely done." Joe said.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Cisco and Caitlin were walking down the service tunnels underneath the mall, with Cisco having in his hand some detector.

"We follow the ionized particles, and that should lead us right to him. The CPM's are increasing. We should have told Dr. Wells and Barry." Cisco said.

"No, not until we're sure it's him." Caitlin said, holding a flashlight.

"Oh, wow." Cisco stared at the readings.

"Look, Ronnie is not like you remembered him." Caitlin said hesitantly.

"What does that mean?" Cisco asked, confused.

"Just don't freak out when you see him, OK?" Caitlin pleaded before Cisco's detector suddenly turned off.

"Oh, I really wish that was because the batteries are dead." Cisco grumbled. They continued walking down the corridor until they saw Ronnie as Caitlin shined a flashlight at his face but Ronnie just stared back blankly.

"Ronnie? Ronnie. It's me. Cait." Caitlin pleaded but Ronnie was silent, not recognizing either her or Cisco. "Look, I brought Cisco with me. We're here to help you. You were in an accident. Do you remember?"

"I'm not Ronnie." Ronnie said.

"Yes, you are. You're Ronnie Raymond." Caitlin tried.

"I'm not Ronnie. I told you that. Now get away from me." Ronnie growled.

"Look, we need to take you back to S.T.A.R. Labs. We'll help you remember who you are." Caitlin held his hands. Suddenly, Ronnie grabbed her by her cheek as Caitlin gasped.

"Firestorm." Ronnie whispered before his head and hands were on fire as he ran away, while Cisco and Caitlin stared.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"The tachyon device is in place." Cisco said as they set up the trap.

"You think it'll work?" Barry asked.

"It'll work." Cisco said.

"We have a bait. How do we lure him here, though?" Patty wondered.

"We'll take care of that." Wells said, crossing his arms as he and Joe were eying Barry apprehensively.

"What's the problem?" Barry asked upon noticing their looks.

"Is everything OK?" Patty asked.

"Look, Barry..." Joe took a breath. "Me and Dr. Wells have spoken and we think it would be best if you weren't here for this."

"What are you talking about?" Barry demanded.

"You think Barry's too close to the case." Patty realized as Joe nodded.

"Maybe you're not close enough." Barry snapped. "If you hadn't been too scared and warned me weeks ago, I could have been prepared for this."

"Barry, that's not fair. What would you have done in Joe's place if he had threatened your Dad?" Patty argued.

"Patty's right. I think we can all appreciate Joe's concern for Iris, Barry." Wells nodded.

"That's why I have to be here! I'm the best chance at catching this guy!" Barry exploded.

"Not right now, not in this state." Joe argued calmly.

Barry took a breath, trying to keep his tone leveled. "This man stabbed my mother through the heart and sent my father to prison for it. This is my fight!"

"Barry, we all understand how you're feeling, believe me, we do." Patty pleaded. "But you're not thinking straight. All we want is to be sure we'll do this carefully and the right way. You said it yourself, the man in yellow wiped the floor with you."

Barry sighed as looked at Joe, Wells and Patty before he picked his jacket and left, frustrated.

* * *

Caitlin was at the Pipeline, holding in her hands her engagement ring, while sniffing before Cisco sat next to her. "Caitlin ...don't worry. Hey." Caitlin turned her head to face him. "Now that we know he's out there, we will find Ronnie again." He promised.

"Why?" Caitlin asked as she turned to the Pipeline. "So we can throw him in there with all the other metahuman psychos?" She lowered her head, on verge of tears. "I used to play this game in my head. What would I give up for just one more minute with him? My house, my career, the rest of my life? Today I finally got that minute. And I wish I hadn't." She sniffed, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Seeing him like that, what he's become... Dear God... I wish he had just died that day." She buried her face into her hands, sobbing as Cisco hugged her, providing whatever little comfort he could for his best friend.

* * *

**_Iron Heights_ **

Barry was in the visitor room as Henry approached him, glass separating them both as they picked the receivers.

"Merry Christmas, slugger." Henry said.

"Merry Christmas." Barry said.

"You alright, Barry?" Henry asked, noticing the look on his face.

Barry sighed, looking ashamed. "I screwed up, Dad." Henry looked confused. "After years of searching, I finally found him. I found the man, who killed Mom. The man in yellow, the one in the lightning. He's out there, and I had him. He got away." Henry's face twitched and hand shook, looking like if he was about to break down. "I was so close. I promised you that I would get you out of here. Every day you spent in here has been because of him. Until today." Barry's voice started to break as he felt ashamed. "Now you're in here because of me, and I'm so sorry." He started to sob as he wiped his face.

"Barry. Barry. This is not your fault. Look at me." Henry said as Barry was trying to keep his tears at bay. "I know what you've given up. Every decision you've made the past fourteen years has been because of me and your Morn. What you studied, why you became a CSI. And Patty."

"Patty?" Barry asked, confused.

"You're my son. You don't think I know how you care about each other?" Henry said. "But you two have never tried. You were too consumed with what had happened to me and your mom to let yourself have a life. Well, let it go now, Barry. Hear me now." Barry got ahold of himself, listening. "The man in the yellow suit... he's taken enough from us already. Don't let him take any more."

Barry stared and considered Henry's thoughts.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Patty was at the desk, filing some cases before Barry sat next to her.

"Barry. Are you OK?" Patty asked.

"Yeah. I just… have been having a lot on my mind." Barry said, putting his hands together.

"What's going on?" Patty asked. "Barry, whatever it is, if you need to get something off your chest, I will listen. I'm always here for you." She held his hand.

"For as long as I've known you, ever since our first day in CCPD…" Barry took his breath. "…I admired you. I mean, you were unlike any other woman I had met. Smart, kind and even if… you didn't believe me about the man in yellow, you've always been there for me."

"Because I knew that you were a good person. I could tell." Patty said.

"I had not imagined how our lives would have gone down back then. And today Dad made me realize… I want more, Patty." Barry said as Patty blinked. "I realized that I didn't want to admit to myself that I had found what I had been looking for my whole life. Ever since Mom… I had this… void inside me. And now I realize… when I'm with you… I don't feel that void." He breathed out. "And you always help me get back on my feet, when I'm down. When I feel beaten, you're there for me."

"Barry… I…" Patty paused, trying to think of what to say. But the next thing either of them knew, they sat down and kissed.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Wells, Cisco, Joe, Eddie and CCPD were setting up the trap until they caught the speedster in yellow as Joe, Eddie and the SWAT entered.

"Cisco! Lights!" Wells called out as the lights turned on as Eddie and the SWAT stared at the speedster before Wells turned to Eddie. "Detective Thawne? Would you like to read him his rights?"

Eddie stared in disbelief at the man in yellow before he saw Joe near him. "Joe, what are you doing?"

"Getting some answers." Joe said. "14 years ago, you murdered Nora Allen. I wanna know why. Why?"

The speedster ignored them as he turned to Wells. " _Dr. Wells, we meet at last._ "

"What do you want with the tachyonic particles?" Wells asked.

" _My goals are beyond your understanding._ " The speedster said.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm a pretty smart guy." Wells said. "I knew you were exceptionally fast. So, any trap we manufactured, would have to be invisible. I knew your cells could repair themselves at extraordinary speed so you could withstand the damage this is doing to your body right now."

* * *

"The supercapacitors, the containment field is fluctuating. They need to get out of there now." Cisco said, noticing the readings.

* * *

"The reason I know all this is because your powers are almost exactly like those of the Flash." Wells continued.

" _Oh, I'm not like the Flash at all. Some would say I'm the reverse._ " The speedster said.

* * *

The screens started buzzing, much to Cisco's and Caitlin's shock.

"Dr. Wells, evacuate. Get out of there now. Dr. Wells!" Caitlin called out.

* * *

The man in yellow grabbed Wells and slammed him to the ground inside the trap before he started beating him up.

"Cisco! Turn off the barrier!" Joe ordered.

"If I turn it off, that thing's gonna get out." Cisco protested.

"Cisco, he's gonna kill Wells!" Joe shouted as he grabbed a wrench and smashed the console as the trap turned off. The speedster grabbed the device and sped off, leaving Wells on the floor, bloodied.

"Find him!" Eddie ordered, looking around before the speedster appeared behind them. Eddie, Joe and the SWAT aimed their weapons at the speedster.

* * *

_**CCPD** _

Barry pulled away as his phone went off.

"What is it?" Patty asked.

"It's Caitlin." Barry said as he read the text.

" _S.O.S._ "

Suddenly, Barry sped off as Patty got up and picked her coat.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Don't move or we will shoot!" Eddie warned as he and the S.W.A.T. aimed at the speedster. The speedster knocked down the officers before disarming Eddie, his face inches away from him as Eddie paled. Joe fired at the speedster, who shoved Eddie before grabbing him by his throat.

" _I warned you not to hunt me._ " The speedster snarled before Barry engaged him and they sped up through the window before the man in yellow threw Barry against a car as Barry crashed against the windshield, while Cisco and Caitlin went out. The speedster again managed to overpower Barry and beat him up as Cisco and Caitlin stared in shock.

"Barry!" Caitlin wailed.

Patty drove in and went out as she aimed her gun. "Hey! Let him go!"

The speedster turned around and quickly disarmed Patty before grabbing her by her throat as Patty choked out.

" _You've become a nuisance, Detective Spivot. One I cannot tolerate._ " The speedster said as he vibrated his hand.

"No!" Barry snarled, rushing at the speedster, causing for him to let Patty go but the speedster again slammed him to the ground before a torrent of fire knocked the man in yellow down as they stared in shock to see Ronnie.

The man in yellow got up. " _Our race is not yet done. See you soon, Flash._ "

The speedster sped off in red lightning as Cisco and Patty helped Barry on his feet.

"Are you OK, Barry?" Patty asked.

"I'll be fine." Barry nodded.

Caitlin stared in shock as Ronnie neared her. "Don't look for me again." He said before he flew up and away as they all stared in disbelief, while Barry seethed at where the man in yellow was.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"Are you OK, Barry?" Patty asked.

"I should be asking you that question." Barry pointed out as she massaged her throat.

"A little banged up but I'll be fine, even though I don't heal as fast as you." Patty said. "He almost killed me and Eddie."

"We're lucky he didn't." Barry said. "But when he was about to…" He took a breath as he looked at Patty. "I can't imagine a world without you, Patty. I need you in my life."

Patty just smiled as they kissed each other again.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells entered his private room, attaching some device into the yellow suit of the speedster before he turned on the pedestal with the hologram of the newspapers of the Flash vanishing and then he looked at the photo of Patty, glaring. There were still some problems he needed to take care of but direct approach was clearly not going to be the one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	11. Heat and Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snart returns with his new partner to stir up more trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

_**Ferris Air** _

Barry was at the runway, running and dodging the gunfire from a drone controlled by Cisco as Wells and Caitlin observed.

"That was too close." Caitlin noted, worried about Barry.

"He told me to make it hard." Cisco reminded.

"Pretty sure he didn't tell you to make him dead." Caitlin argued.

"Remember, this is just supposed to be a training exercise to improve Barry's speed." Wells said.

"Cisco, you gonna bring it or what?" Barry called out.

Cisco hesitated before turning to Wells. "Bring it." Wells said.

Caitlin watched with her goggles as the drone fired a missile and it knocked Barry down upon hitting the ground and exploding as Cisco, Caitlin and Wells looked a little shocked. Barry groaned before getting up, facing the drone.

"Why isn't he running away?" Caitlin demanded. Unnoticing to them, Wells, seemed to be getting up slowly, about to intervene. "Barry, run away." She whispered, worried.

The drone fired another missile but Barry caught it and threw it at the drone, destroying it as they all relaxed and Wells sat down, while Barry came back to them.

"Very impressive, Mr. Allen. Your reaction to stimuli at super speed continues to improve." Wells said.

"It's still not enough." Barry grumbled.

"It will be." Wells promised. "Keep working like you are, you stay focused like you are, and you will be ready next time your man in the yellow suit comes around."

"I think you mean 'The Reverse-Flash'." Cisco said as Wells turned to him as Caitlin shot Cisco a look. "What? He said it, not me. And he's right. Yellow suit, red lightning, and evil. The reverse of Barry."

"Meh." Caitlin shrugged.

"Actually, I kind of like it." Wells said.

"I'm so ready for another round. How many drones do you have?" Barry said, ready to run again.

"Two, and they've got lasers." Cisco said.

"No." Wells and Caitlin said in unison.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Barry, Joe, Patty and Eddie went to investigate the break-in into the garage with expensive sports car but to their surprise…

"Are you sure nothing's missing?" Joe asked.

"That's what the supervisor said." The officer confirmed as Joe, Eddie and Patty shot him looks. "I can check again." He walked off as Barry was examining the shattered "glass" on the floor.

"Bar." Joe said.

"Hey." Barry took a breath, examining the scene and looking at the shards on the ground. "Uh, well, the breakage indicates that the door somehow had zero viscoelasticity when it hit the ground."

"Somehow, the steel shattered like glass." Patty explained as Barry took a closer look at one of the fragments, noticing something familiar.

"It was frozen." Barry said as it hit him, Joe and Patty.

"Snart." Joe said.

"He's back." Patty added.

"I thought Snart was some world-class thief." Eddie seemed confused as he looked around. "All these expensive cars, he didn't take any of them? Doesn't make sense."

"Eddie, put out an APB on Snart." Joe ordered.

"Got it." Eddie walked off as Barry, Joe and Patty realized why did Snart break into the garage.

"Snart wasn't here after these cars." Patty said.

"He was setting a trap." Joe nodded.

"For me." Barry said. "And by me, I mean—"

"We know, Barry." Patty nodded.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Captain Cold is back." Cisco said as they entered the Cortex.

"And he was setting up a trap for Barry." Patty nodded.

"For a non-metahuman, Leonard Snart is proving to be quite the nemesis." Wells noted.

"He still has the cold gun, the one he stole from us. The one I built." Cisco said.

"You said he was setting a trap for Barry?" Caitlin asked as Barry and Patty nodded.

"If Snart wants a fight, then I'll give him one." Barry said as Wells, Cisco and Caitlin looked worried.

"Well..." Wells paused.

"What, you think Barry shouldn't take him on?" Patty questioned.

"I didn't say that, Detective." Wells shook his head before turning to Barry. "But, Barry, as fast as you are, you cannot be everywhere at once. And it becomes then a question of priorities. In the last month, you have made a commitment to increasing your speed, enhancing your reflexes and it's working. You're finally getting faster."

"OK, but what am I supposed to do? Just ignore Snart?" Barry demanded.

Wells took a breath. "The last time you had a fight with Snart, a train derailed. You were lucky to get all those people to safety. Now, if you don't give him that fight..."

"…he may just back off. And there'll be no casualties." Barry finished, considering.

"But how are we supposed to stop Snart without Barry's help, if he has the cold gun you built?" Patty pointed out as she turned to Cisco.

"Look, Patty, Cisco and I will work with Joe and the police and devise a way to catch Cold." Wells said as Cisco shot him a look. "Yes, I said it, Cisco. As soon as it came out of my mouth, I heard it."

"Yeah, we can definitely come up with ways to neutralize Snart." Cisco promised.

"Listen, Barry, whether or not you go after Snart, that's your choice. We here, we will do whatever we can to support you." Wells stopped at the monitors. "But after this past Christmas, after the events with the Reverse-Flash... I just think he poses a greater threat to all of us." He finished with a dark look in his eyes.

"So, what, he should put the people of the city in second place?" Patty argued.

"Look, Patty, I understand your concern but…" Wells took a breath, seeming calm. "The other speedster is a metahuman as I've said, I think he poses a bigger threat than a thief with a cold gun that we built. I am certain we can devise a way to stop Snart without putting the force and Barry in danger."

Patty shook her head in disapproval as she left.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"Do you think it's a good idea for Barry to be focusing on the man in yellow and not Snart?" Joe asked Patty as Cisco was demonstrating his newest invention, the heating ribbon on the ballistic shields of the police force, while he was holding a sprayer with liquid nitrogen.

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Patty said. "But I trust that Cisco, Caitlin and Wells will find a way to figure something out."

"So, Dr. Wells and I, we took your ballistic shields and…" Cisco stopped as Singh gestured for him to lower the sprayer. "…and we lined them with a pretty sweet compacted heating ribbon designed to repel temperature attacks especially those reaching absolute zero, like Captain Cold's gun."

"That's supposed to keep us from getting turned into popsicles?" One of the officers questioned skeptically, crossing arms.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, they will." Cisco nodded.

"How are we supposed to trust anything from S.T.A.R. Labs after you nuked the city?" Another officer questioned.

"You're right." Cisco sighed after a moment. "You're right. You shouldn't trust us. What happened a year ago, that was our fault. And we can't change the past, as much as we wish we could. But tomorrow is a different story. Tomorrow's a different thing." He walked down, while nearing the shield, aiming the sprayer. "We just want the chance to make things better. Observe."

Cisco sprayed the nitrogen onto the shield but it quickly melted, leaving the officers impressed.

"Nicely done, Cisco." Patty smiled.

"Dummies are one thing, my officers are another." Singh warned.

"You seem pleased with yourself, doctor." Joe said as Wells smiled.

"Well, I'm just happy to help the police catch Snart, Joe." Wells said.

"Barry might be able to help too." Joe pointed out.

"I think Cisco's heat shields are up to the task." Wells countered. "Joe, if Barry feels he's gonna endanger lives by taking on Snart and feels he's gonna save lives by training to take on the man in yellow, that's his call."

"You know, Barry said the exact same thing to me." Joe countered. "I thought, "Doesn't sound like him." I guess because it sounds like you." He eyed Wells with suspicion.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Caitlin was searching "Firestorm" on the Internet as Barry approached her. "Hey."

"Aah!" Caitlin gasped, startled.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Barry said apologetically.

"It's OK. I was just kind of focused." Caitlin said.

"Gotcha." Barry nodded before turning to the screen on the computer. "What's Firestorm?"

"It's one of the last things Ronnie said to me before he flew away." Caitlin said as Barry looked sympathetic. "My dead fiancé can fly. Haven't broke that to my parents yet. You doing OK?

"Yeah, yeah. I just..." Barry took a breath. "Wells thinks I should focus on getting faster after what happened during Christmas. Joe and Patty believe that I need to help them."

"And you're not sure what to do." Caitlin realized and Barry nodded. "When Ronnie and I started dating, everything started to change. I wasn't sure what to prefer anymore but… together, we were able to work through it. He wanted to scuba-dive, I wanted to talk, stuff like that." She took a breath. "Look, it's not my place to tell you whether it's more important to help the police catch Snart or get faster to stop the man in yellow but—"

"Scuba…" Barry trailed off.

"What about it?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. It's an acronym." Barry said as Caitlin caught up to his thoughts, typing away.

"What if Firestorm isn't a word?" Caitlin said before she got a result. "Fusion, Ignition Research experiment and Science of Transmutation Originating RNA and Molecular structures." She read as she went over the article briefly. "It's 800 pages." She turned to Barry with a nervous chuckle.

Barry chuckled back nervously too as he leaned onto the computer, speed-reading the article. "There's a lot of stuff in there, but it mostly focuses on transmutation, which is the process of altering the structure of an element by unzipping atoms..."

"…and rebuilding it to create an entirely new element." Caitlin finished.

"Yeah. Well, the article was co-written by Jason Rusch, who was a grad student here at Hudson University." Barry explained. "So, if anybody knows what happened to Ronnie..."

"…maybe he does." Caitlin finished as Barry nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

_**Central City** _

Osgood and Rachel Rathaways went out from the plane with one of their servants carrying the painting "Fire and Ice" before Snart appeared, firing with his cold gun.

"Someone better call 911!" Snart said and a few moments later, Joe, Eddie, Patty and the police appeared with Cisco's shields.

"Snart, freeze!" Joe ordered.

Snart fired from his cold gun but it had no effect before he turned his head. "Mick!" He called out and a moment later, a bald man wearing goggles with some hi-tech gun just like Snart's cold gun appeared.

"What the hell?" Joe demanded.

"Why do they call you people "the heat"? I'm the heat!" Mick roared before he fired from his flamethrower, forcing the police to retreat as Snart fired from his Cold Gun.

"Forget them, Mick. Get ready for him." Snart said.

"It's beautiful." Mick said, actually admiring the fire.

"Mick. Mick. Mick!" Snart yelled as Joe pulled out his gun and fired, hitting Mick's flamethrower as it stopped spraying fire. "We go, now!" Snart ordered as he and Mick retreated.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Barry entered and saw the officers being treated as he approached Joe and Patty. "Hey. Hey, are you OK?" Barry asked, worried.

"We're fine, don't worry." Patty said as Joe hung up.

"Snart's new partner, he's got this handheld flamethrower." Joe explained. "Almost everyone was treated on the scene, but we got two in the Burn Unit though."

Barry sighed, realizing he could have stopped Snart and his partner. "I'm sorry. I should've listened to you."

"This isn't your fault, Barry." Patty held his hand. "But the next time Snart and that pyromaniac show up, kick their asses."

Barry nodded.

* * *

_**Central City** _

"The cop's bullet ruptured the secondary internal fuel chamber." Mick said, fixing the flamethrower. "Could've been worse. You were right to get me to learn every part and circuit of this thing. Repairing it was…" He aimed at Snart, who aimed his cold gun back at Mick. "…a snap."

"Give me one reason I don't kill you right now." Snart sneered.

"It's gonna be hard to find someone else to listen to your winning speeches." Mick smiled.

"You lost it out there just like the last job. You lost focus, became obsessed." Snart said.

"I'm obsessed?" Mick snorted. "What about you? You're usually counting the seconds. Got the whole thing planned out. Dotting T's, crossing I's. But all you care about now is the Flash."

"We have to put him down." Snart said.

"Why?" Mick questioned, turning to the painting they had stolen. "We got the finger painting, it's worth millions, it's ours. We're rich. Job done."

"What about the next job, Mick, and the job after that?" Snart pointed out. "With weapons like these, no one can stand against us. No one except the Flash." He took a breath and closed his eyes. "If you want out, take the painting and go." Mick lowered his flamethrower, considering. "But if you want Central City to be our home, where we can do and take whatever we want, this is our chance. Your chance."

Mick considered before he burned the painting. "Very motivational. How do we get him?"

"The Flash isn't so different from us. He's got partners too." Snart said. "I have a tip on where one of them is going to be." He pulled out his phone to show a picture of Patty.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Listen, I haven't seen Snart in months. I've got no clue where he's hiding." The man said as Patty interrogated one of Snart's old associates.

"Are you sure?" Patty asked, showing Snart's photo as the man nodded. "He has a new partner. Tall, bald, likes fire. Ring any bells?"

* * *

Patty came to her car, calling Joe. "Joe, I think I've got an ID on…" She stopped, when the car door was frozen with a beam and she paled and slowly turned around to face Snart and Mick.

"Car trouble?" Snart chuckled.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. City_ **

Barry stared at the treadmill as Wells entered.

"I hope we're not enemies." Wells said as Barry turned to him in surprise.

"What? No, of course not." Barry assured.

"I thought you might blame me for pushing you to pursue your training rather than help the police." Wells said upon entering.

"Look, I'm an adult. I make my own choices, my own mistakes. And I'm glad you push me to be better." Barry said as Wells crossed his arms, intrigued. "It's so weird. There was a time in my life that I would have paid money for your autograph. And now we're..."

"…partners." Wells finished.

"I was gonna say 'friends'." Barry corrected as Wells smiled.

"In case you doubt it, you push me to be better too." Wells said.

Barry smiled back before Cisco entered. "Guys, you have to come look at this." They followed him into the Cortex as he and Caitlin showed them the blueprints on the heat gun.

"When the heat gun was fired, it increased the surrounding temperature of the air dramatically. Sort of like an extreme heat wave." Cisco said before he realized he had come up with a new name for Snart's partner. "Heat Wave."

"Stop doing that." Wells snapped as Caitlin shook her head.

"OK. I measured the temperature output of both the cold and heat guns, right? And while the cold gun achieves absolute zero, the heat gun reaches absolute hot, or the hottest temperature an object can reach." Cisco explained.

"Planck temperature." Barry nodded.

"So potentially, these two guns could cancel each other out." Wells theorized.

"But in order to do that, we'd need to force Snart and his partner to cross the streams of their weapons." Caitlin said.

"You mean like Ghostbusters?" Barry questioned, intrigued.

"That film is surprisingly scientifically accurate." Cisco chuckled.

"And really quite funny." Wells muttered, shaking his head as Barry's phone went off and he answered the call.

"Hey, Joe. What's up?" Suddenly, Barry looked alerted as he sped off.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

The officers and CSI's were examining the crime scene as Barry saw Patty's car with the door frozen, realizing what happened.

"Joe. Anything?" Barry asked.

"There's no sign of Patty." Joe said.

Barry wiped his face, worried before he turned to Joe. "We're getting her back. We have to find Snart.

"Damn right we do." Joe nodded. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Barry and Joe entered the precinct as Eddie approached them, showing them a file.

"Joe! Joe! We got a hit. Second pair of prints. They belong to a Mick Rory." Eddie said as Joe and Barry read the file.

"Who is he?" Barry asked.

"Big-time arsonist. He and Snart worked a job last year that went bad. Half of Rory's body was burned in a fire that got out of control. He escaped from an ambulance on the way to the hospital, hasn't been seen since." Eddie said as he looked puzzled. "What would they want with Patty?"

"Joe. Thawne. It's on every station." Singh turned on the TV as they saw Snart and Mick with restrained Patty on live TV.

" _Greetings, citizens of Central City. I am Leonard Snart, but you can call me "Cold"._ " Snart said as Barry and Joe had worried looks as they saw Patty trying to struggle out of Mick's hold. " _I'm gonna make this very simple for everyone. That red streak you've been hearing whispers about. The one mysteriously saving people these past few months? Well, surprise, he's real. He calls himself the Flash._ " Barry glared at Snart and Mick. " _Porter and Maine. Tonight. Sundown. Come out, come out, wherever you are, Flash. Show the whole world you're real. Or this woman dies._ "

" _Don't listen to them! It's a trap!_ " Patty cried out before the feed ended.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Hey." Barry answered the call.

"OK. You're on. Good luck, son." Joe said.

"Thanks." Barry nodded.

"Barry, after tonight, everyone's gonna know that the Flash exists." Joe cautioned. "Are you ready for that?"

Barry took a breath. "I'll see you soon." He hung up before putting on his suit.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

The police established a perimeter at Porter and Maine before they saw a bolt of lightning pass by them.

"Did you see that? That was him." One of the officers said. "That was the Flash."

"I don't believe it." Singh was perplexed as he saw the speedster.

"Believe it." Eddie said.

"The scarlet speedster." Snart called out as he and Mick showed up. "Any preference on how you'd like to die? The flame? Or the frost?" The Flash neared them as Snart chuckled. "Not in the mood for chitchat. Gotcha. Ready when you are."

Snart and Mick aimed their weapons as Barry dodged the beam from the cold gun and the fire from the flamethrower, passing by them.

"Cover me!" Snart ordered. Mick fired torrents of fire that Barry dodged. "Run on this." Snart froze a hydrant and Barry crashed towards the frozen geyser as Barry took cover behind a car.

" _Barry, you OK?_ " Caitlin called out.

"I'm fine." Barry groaned.

" _You know what you have to do._ " Wells said.

"Yeah. Get them to cross beams and cancel their guns out. I know." Barry said.

"Mick!" Snart shouted as Mick fired at the car behind which was Barry hiding as it exploded. "Ah! Gotcha!"

Barry sped away from Snart and Mick, panting out in exhaustion. "Yeah, not as easy as it sounds!"

* * *

Cisco and Joe drove in as they both went out, driving into warehouse district.

"Are you sure Patty's here, Cisco?" Joe asked.

"Starting from Patty's car, I pieced together surveillance footage that lead us to this area." Cisco said as he looked at his tablet.

"But there's over a dozen warehouses." Joe said.

"But only one of them has had the heat on the last three nights. And I'm betting Mick Rory likes it hot." Cisco said as Joe pulled out his gun.

"OK. Stay behind me." Joe said as he opened the door. "Patty?"

"Patty, are you here?" Cisco called out as they heard muffled screams before they saw Patty restrained to the chair and gagged. "Patty, we're gonna get you out of here."

Patty shook her head, letting out muffled screams as Cisco rushed to her and triggering a tripwire.

"Cisco. Cisco, down!" Joe pulled him back and rushed to Patty, tackling her down as the floor under her exploded.

Cisco put down the gag from Patty's mouth as she panted out. "Patty. Are you OK?"

Patty nodded. "A little in shock but I'm fine." She turned to Joe. "Thanks. Both of you. Thank you."

"We're not gonna let anything happen to you, Patty. I let down one friend, I'm not gonna let down another." Cisco promised as he hugged her, while she chuckled.

* * *

The Flash kept dodging the beams from Snart's and Mick's weapons as he rushed up the windows before he jumped down but the beam from Snart's cold gun sent him flying back.

Snart and Mick were about to finish Barry off as he groaned in pain, lying on the ground. Suddenly, Eddie appeared, shielding Barry from the cold beam and the torrent of fire with one of Cisco's shields. "Hold on! I got this. Go, go, go!" Eddie shouted before Barry sped him away to safety and then faced Snart and Mick again.

"I can't get them to cross streams. Speed isn't getting it done." Barry said.

"You're right. Maybe the way to do this is not by going faster." Wells realized.

"It's going slower." Barry said.

"Yes." Wells said as Barry took a breath. It was a risky move but it was the only one he had left.

Barry rushed forward, groaning in pain as Snart's cold beam and the torrent of fire from Mick's flamethrower hit him until the streams crossed and the impact sent Snart and Mick flying away. Mick was knocked out the moment he hit the ground, while Snart groaned, trying to take the cold gun before Barry stepped on it.

Snart laughed. "I didn't see that coming. I guess you win this time."

"There won't be a next time." The Flash sneered before Eddie approached him, aiming his gun as the Flash vibrated his voice. "Thank you, detective." He sped off as Eddie and the officers apprehended Snart and Mick.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

The officers applauded, while dragging in Snart and Mick, while Mick was fighting back violently, trying to struggle out of the cuffs and the officers' grip.

"We'll burn every last one of you pigs! Get your hands off me!" Mick roared before Joe aimed a gun at him and Mick roared again as the officers dragged him away.

"Your partner's a real hothead." Joe said.

"That's funny." Snart said calmly.

"It's over, Snart. You're finally going to prison." Patty said, glaring.

"Don't tell me you're sour, Detective." Snart said.

"How did you know to look for me, anyway?" Patty demanded but Snart was silent before the officers took him in.

"Nice work, Eddie." Barry smiled at him.

"It wasn't me. It was the Flash." Eddie said before he handed Snart's cold gun and Mick's flamethrower to Cisco. "We're not gonna be needing these for trial. You'll make sure...

"…they'll never hurt anyone ever again." Cisco finished as he put the weapons into the box.

"Mr. Ramon. Thank you." Singh shook his hand with Cisco as Barry and Patty walked off.

"You hear that? The Flash is a hero." Patty teased as Barry chuckled before they both had worried looks. "I guess they knew about me from the train station but how did they find me? Do you think they've been stalking me, Cisco and Caitlin? Snart saw our faces."

"Someone might have tipped him off about you." Barry said.

"But who? And why?" Patty wondered.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells looked at the photo of Patty before turning off the screen. Well, that plan didn't work out as he expected. No matter, there were other contingencies in motion.

* * *

_**Central City** _

Snart and Mick were on their way to Iron Heights in the prison transport as Mick glared at Snart, who had his eyes closed, smiling and seeming calm.

"I should have burned the entire city block down, but instead, I listened to you." Mick growled. "We had the painting. We had the guns. We could have had everything. But you had your stupid plan. How's that stupid plan working out for us now?"

"Everyone's seen the Flash now. This changes things, again." Snart said calmly.

Suddenly, an explosion and tremors followed as the van shook.

"What the..." Mick was startled as he turned to Snart, while gunshots ran out. "Snart!"

"Relax, Mick." Snart said calmly.

"What's going on?" Mick growled as Snart leaned forward.

"The plan." Snart smiled as the door opened to reveal a long-haired brunette woman with blue eyes and black leather jacket with a gun. "Hey, sis."

"Nice." Mick smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you all know who tipped Snart and Mick off about Patty.
> 
> Well, things are getting a bit more complicated for her and Barry.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	12. Pied Piper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off Wells's former protégé, while finding out a devastating secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry, Patty and Joe entered Wells' house as they saw the glass shards around.

"Come in." Wells said as he let them in. "Patty, Joe, look. I apologize for all of this. It really feels like a case of so much for so little. The police should not have been called. I got a prank call before all this happened."

"Seems like more than just a prank call, Doctor." Patty noted as they looked around.

"Well, there are those who feel I did not suffer enough for the particle accelerator explosion last year, and some of them act on it." Wells said as they saw the shattered roof window before Caitlin and Cisco entered.

"Dr. Wells. Dr. Wells, are you OK?" Caitlin asked worriedly.

"Dr. Snow, I'm fine." Wells assured her. "A little chilly. Otherwise, I'm fine. Hello, Cisco. Make yourselves at home as best you can. I'm gonna make a hotel reservation." He drove off, while picking up his phone.

"Yo, this place is so sick." Cisco said as he looked around.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"Where have you guys been?" Patty wondered. "I thought you'd be here earlier."

"We… got lost." Cisco said awkwardly.

"We've never been here before." Caitlin added, much to Barry's, Patty's and Joe's surprise.

"Really, never?" Barry raised his brows.

"He tends to keep his private life private." Caitlin said.

"I canvassed the street." Eddie said as he approached Joe. "No other reports of vandalism, no strange cars. Get this, Wells says he's right there when it happened." He looked up. "All that glass shattering down around him. He can't walk."

"And he didn't have a scratch on him." Joe agreed, both of them eying Wells suspiciously.

* * *

"How is it possible that Wells got out of it unfazed, if you look at the mess. I mean, you'd expect a guy on a wheelchair to at least have something." Patty noted.

"Maybe he got lucky." Barry shrugged but neither of them were really convinced as Barry examined the crime scene and started to reassemble the glass shards in superspeed. "There's no point of impact. No rock or bat or any solid object went through these windows."

"It's like if they somehow shattered themselves." Patty said as she took a closer look before they turned to Wells, who smiled.

"This wasn't some teenage prank?" Barry inquired.

Wells shook his head, smiling. "No, it wasn't."

"But you don't want us to help you. Why?" Patty asked.

"Because I already know who did this. Hartley Rathaway." Wells said, much to their confusion.

"Who is Harley Rathaway?" Barry asked.

"Hartley Rathaway is the prodigal son. And he has returned." Wells said.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Wells showed Hartley's profile on the screen in the Cortex. "Hartley Rathaway possesses one of the finest scientific minds I've ever encountered."

"Rathaway, as in "Rathaway Industries"?" Patty asked.

Wells nodded. "His grandfather founded the company, his father expanded it. Hartley was set to inherit the throne."

"What happened?" Barry asked.

"He came out to his parents." Caitlin said dryly. "Old money, old values."

"They were estranged when we met but brilliant. I couldn't have built the accelerator without him."

"You've never told us about him." Patty said.

"That's because Hartley had a challenging personality." Caitlin said somewhat bitterly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What she means is he was mostly a jerk." Cisco clarified, clearly frustrated before turning to Wells. "But every once in a while, he could be a dick."

"Oh." Patty said as Joe chuckled.

"Let's just say that Hartley, like many outliers, had trouble relating to his peers." Wells said.

"Yes, but he was always your favorite." Caitlin shot Wells a glare.

"The chosen one." Cisco said sarcastically as Wells shot him a look. "He referred to himself like that."

"So, if you two were so close, why would he target you?" Joe questioned.

"Hartley left S.T.A.R. Labs about a year ago after we had..." Wells paused and sighed. "...a disagreement."

"About…?" Patty asked.

Wells was hesitant to say anything before Barry stepped up. "Look, don't worry. We'll stop him. I won't let him hurt you, any of you." Joe and Patty turned to him in confusion. "Let's get back to my lab."

Joe and Patty nodded as they left with Barry.

"I could have gone my whole life without seeing that jerk again." Cisco grumbled, glaring at Hartley's photo.

* * *

_**CCPD** _

Barry had a glass cup on a stand as he tapped on it with a spoon as Joe observed. "Everything has a natural frequency. Since sound is expressed as a vibration, if the pitch of the sound matches the natural vibration frequency of an object, then..." He turned the machine one as the glass shattered as he, Joe and Patty laughed.

"So you're saying that can happen to anything, not just glass?" Joe asked.

"If you know the right frequency, theoretically, yeah." Patty nodded. "It's likely that's how the windows at Wells' place shattered. Whoever did this is using some kind of sonic technology."

"I'm getting this feeling that Wells is hiding something." Joe said as Barry turned to him in confusion before Patty nodded.

"I don't know about you, Barry but Joe and I are not sure he told us everything about this Rathaway guy." Patty added.

"I mean, it sounds like this Hartley guy was a pill before he went all super villain. So I get why he never mentioned him." Barry said.

"Like he never mentions his girlfriend that got killed." Joe said as they turned to him in confusion.

"What?" Patty asked.

"How do you know about her?" Barry straightened himself.

"He's taken up a big part of our lives. I wanted to know more about him." Joe said.

"Well, if you wanna know more about him, you could just ask me." Barry said.

"Unless you don't know Wells as much as you believe." Patty realized as Joe nodded.

A moment later, Eddie entered. "Joe, multiple 9-1-1 calls. Rathaway Industries is under attack. Sector cars are en route."

Joe and Patty went out with Eddie as Barry answered Caitlin's call. "Hey."

"Barry, it's Caitlin."

"I think I know why you're calling." Barry said as he went out.

* * *

_**Rathaway Industries** _

Hartley used his gauntlets to fire sonic blasts, shattering the windows of Rathaway Industries building before disabling police cruisers approaching the scene. The Flash then sped in, knocking him down.

"It's over, Rathaway." The Flash said.

"You know my name." Hartley chuckled, flattered. "I know some names too. Caitlin Snow. Cisco Ramon. Harrison Wells. I can hear their radio waves emanating from your suit. About 1,900 megahertz. Is that them on the other end listening? Are they gonna hear you die?"

"No." The Flash shook his head. "They're gonna hear you get your ass kicked."

"OK." Hartley shrugged before blasting the Flash back with his gauntlets as he crashed against the Rathaway Industries sign.

The Flash got up and dodged another sonic blast before throwing nightsticks at Hartley. As Hartley prepared to blast him again, Barry disarmed him of his gauntlets. "Looks like you're not as smart as everyone says."

"Smart enough to have figured out who Harrison Wells really is." Hartley sneered. "You see, I know his secret."

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Just as Barry, Cisco and Caitlin were completely confused as they stared at Wells.

* * *

Later, after locking Hartley up and Wells confronting him as they listened to the conversation, Wells returned to the Cortex, once Barry, Cisco and Caitlin overheard them about Wells turning on them as Wells seemed ashamed.

"I assume you were all listening." Wells said. "Hartley was telling the truth. I have not been honest with you. With any of you." He stretched his arms and took a breath. "The accelerator. Hartley warned me that there was indeed a chance that the accelerator could explode." Barry, Cisco and Caitlin seemed shocked.

"What?" Patty demanded as she entered as they stared at Wells in disbelief.

"His data did not show 100% certainty. Just that there was a risk but it was a real risk and yet I made the decision that the reward, that... everything we could learn, that everything we could achieve, that all of that..." He took a breath. "...simply outweighed that risk. I'm sorry."

Everyone glared at him in disappointment as Caitlin especially seemed heartbroken and betrayed because of losing Ronnie.

"The next time you choose to put our lives and the lives of the people that we love at risk... we'll expect a heads-up." Caitlin sneered as she and Cisco left.

"I've wanted to give you a benefit of the doubt so much because you helped Barry." Patty said bitterly as she left.

"After the explosion, when everyone else left you, Caitlin and Cisco stood by you." Barry glared as Wells looked down, ashamed. "You owe them more than an apology."

"They might seem to get more than that with Hartley so intent on sending me to the next world." Wells said.

"What... that wouldn't make it right with them." Barry shook his head. "You broke their trust, our trust."

Wells folded his arms with a passive expression on his face as Barry left.

* * *

"I wanted to give him a benefit of the doubt so badly because he helped you." Patty said as she turned to Barry. "Now I'm starting to think that what the people said about Wells after the explosion might be true. I just—"

"I'm not sure if I can trust him anymore either." Barry nodded as they both looked betrayed. "But Caitlin and Cisco might feel even worse."

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

"Why the defeated faces?" Iris asked as she entered Barry's lab, while he and Patty were going over some reports.

"Let's just say we got a lousy case tonight." Patty said dryly.

"What about you? You look so beaten yourself too." Barry asked Iris.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Hartley used the devices in his ears to break out of his cell, blasting through the door as the explosion knocked Cisco out before he entered the Cortex, knocking Caitlin out and downloading from the computer files they had on the Flash as he seized his gauntlets as well.

* * *

Later, Cisco was on a stretcher as Barry and Patty entered as Cisco came to.

"Hey. Welcome back, Mr. Ramon." Barry said.

Cisco smiled but groaned as he tried to get up, clutching his head. "Oh. Oh, man. Caitlin."

"Don't worry about her, Cisco." Patty assured him.

"You need to rest. You have a concussion. You're lucky." Caitlin held Cisco's shoulder as he turned to Barry and Patty.

"Please, tell me you got him." Cisco asked.

Barry shook his head. "I guess the attack on his family's company was a fake-out so we'd catch him."

"And give him direct access to S.T.A.R. Labs." Caitlin agreed.

"But what did he want here?" Patty wondered.

"I should've known he was up to something. This is my fault." Cisco grumbled.

"Hey, man, this is on me too." Barry said. "I shouldn't have left before—"

"This is no one's fault but mine." Wells said as he entered the Cortex and they all turned to him. "I earned the blame. I'm not interested in sharing it. Hartley doesn't think I've paid for my crimes. He's right. He won't stop until I do." He drove away.

"Where are you going?" Barry asked.

"To earn back your trust." Wells said.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

"What is going on here?" Iris asked as she was in the precinct with her boss Mason Bridge.

"Press conference." Mason said.

"Thank you for coming on short notice." Wells said, approaching the microphone stand. "And for those of you that read the 10-volume report issued by the Norris Commission, well, I commend you on your tenacity. You already know, then, the circumstances that led to the explosion of the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator. Or rather, you think you do."

* * *

_**Central City** _

Hartley was watching the press conference on TV as he seemed intrigued by Wells owning up to his sins before he started to remodify his gauntlets.

* * *

_**CCPD** _

"Now, the commission's finding was that the catastrophe was caused by a chain of events that nobody could have predicted, including myself." Wells continued. "The truth is, I was warned there was a chance the particle accelerator might fail. I was warned by a former colleague. A friend. I chose to ignore the warning, and in so doing, I let down all of you." He turned briefly to Barry. "As a new friend pointed out, I failed this city. I failed this city, and I failed those who trusted me the most. But coming forward today, it's my hope I'm taking the first step toward regaining that trust. And your trust as well. Are there any questions?"

"Mr. Wells..." Mason stepped up. "Do you have any intention of rebuilding the particle accelerator?"

Wells turned to Iris, who was behind Mason. "Ms. West. Do you have a question for me?"

Iris stepped up. "I don't believe you answered my colleague's question, Dr. Wells, so I'll ask it again. Do you have any intention of rebuilding the particle accelerator, either now or in the future?"

"Of course not." Wells smiled.

"Thank you for your answer, doctor." Iris nodded.

"It's my pleasure." Wells said before more reporters started shooting questions. "No further questions."

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Has Hartley made contact yet?" Wells asked.

"What makes you so sure he will?" Caitlin questioned.

"Because he's Hartley, and he'll wanna have the last word." Wells said, as if the answer was obvious.

Patty entered as they saw Cisco back on his feet. "Shouldn't you be resting, Cisco?"

"The answer to why Hartley fooled us into catching him is in here, and I'm gonna find it." Cisco said, clearly frustrated by that Hartley had fooled them all as he approached the workshop table.

"You have nothing to prove." Wells assured him.

"Not true." Cisco shook his head.

"Do you know why I hired you, Cisco?" Wells asked.

"You said you saw something in me. I know." Cisco nodded, not looking him in the eye.

"What I saw was humanity. You and Hartley, Cisco, you're both brilliant. You both have mental..." Wells clapped his hands. "...sparks, but his brilliance subtracted from the experience of working here, whereas your brilliance, your heart, your warmth, your humor, it just adds to it." Cisco stared with a contemplative look as Wells continued. "There's no chosen one, Cisco. There's no second or third favorite. Never was. It's just us."

Suddenly, they all heard strange sounds.

"What's that?" Caitlin demanded before sparks flew from above.

" _Nice gambit, Harrison, but this isn't over._ " Hartley called out over the P.A. speakers.

"Hartley, what do you want? What do you want? I already gave my mea culpa today." Wells said.

" _The city already hated you. You don't think I noticed that press conference was a pathetic bishop sacrifice?_ " Hartley gloated. " _No, no, no, I've played with you too many times to let you get away with that. This is between you, me and the Flash._ "

"You don't wanna play for those kinds of stakes with me, Hartley." Wells warned.

" _Actually, I really do. What do you say? One last game of chess?_ " Hartley challenged.

"You and I both know that the winner of the game is the one who makes the next to last mistake and you clearly have a move in mind."

" _You're right, and I'm already at the board. So why don't you move your precious scarlet knight while I take out a few pawns?_ " Hartley taunted.

Barry quickly suited up. "All right. All right, Cisco, where do I go?"

"I can't trace his signal. He could be sending messages from anywhere." Cisco said as he approached the computer.

Patty checked her phone. "There's a maniac using some gauntlets and smashing things around on Cleveland Dam. What are the odds that…"

"…it's Hartley." Cisco said, checking the readings. "Quake activity but no fault line."

"Barry. Don't underestimate him. He's brilliant." Wells cautioned as Barry was about to leave before he nodded.

"Well, good thing I'll have you in here." Barry said before he sped off.

* * *

_**Central City** _

The Flash saved a woman as her car was forced over the dam before facing Hartley.

" _Barry, you need to disarm Hartley immediately. Immediately. Do you hear me?_ " Wells instructed. " _He is a master of distraction. He is a master of hiding his true endgame._ "

Hartley fired another sonic blast, sending cars flying before Barry saved the civilians in the cars.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Cisco went over the data on the computer. "Aha." Then he paled. "Uh-oh."

"'Aha' what?" Wells asked.

"I figured out what Hartley stole from S.T.A.R. Labs, why he let himself get caught." Cisco said.

"Which brings us to the 'uh-oh.'" Caitlin realized.

"He has all the data on Barry's molecular scans." Cisco explained.

"Why would he want that?" Caitlin wondered.

"Oh, no." Patty paled as it hit her and Wells.

"He can get Barry's frequency." Wells said.

"If he knows how, he can use the gauntlets to kill him." Patty realized.

"Barry, you need to get out of there, you need to get out of there immediately!" Wells ordered.

* * *

_**Central City** _

The Flash kept dodging the blasts before he disarmed Hartley of his gauntlets as Hartley fell down.

"It's over! You lose." The Flash said.

"Amazing." Hartley smirked, amused. "He replaced me with you, a total moron. I got you with the same trick twice." Suddenly, the gauntlets vibrated as Barry groaned, trembling as he held his head, falling down on his knees, feeling excruciating pain. "I got the idea watching you and Harrison chit-chat. To use your suit's own speakers to kill you." Barry groaned as he fell to the ground, blood spilling out of his mouth. "That feeling? That's your organs shearing apart. And you activated the frequency when you disarmed me. In chess, we call that 'a discovered attack'. You don't see it until it's too late. Right, Harrison?"

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Cisco, Caitlin, Patty and Wells watched Barry's vitals dropping.

"There's no way Barry can survive that, can we do something?" Patty demanded.

Wells approached the computer as Cisco let him. "What are you doing?"

"Barry's on the travel road of the dam at rush hour surrounded by cars. Those cars are gonna have satellite radio." Wells started typing. "Satellite sends a signal, song comes out the speaker..."

"Yes, I know how satellite radio works. How does that help?" Caitlin snapped.

"I'll have a satellite send something other than a song." Wells said, hacking a satellite. "Hartley is about to hear something he was not expecting. A sound wave that'll meet the frequency of and then destroy his weapons.

* * *

_**Central City** _

"You don't seem so special anymore." Hartley said as Barry was on the ground, trembling. "Given how easy it was to bring you down, I wonder if Harrison will even miss you."

Suddenly, the car radios started sending a frequency that overloaded Hartley's gauntlets. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." He approached his gauntlets before they overloaded and sparked. Hartley then started hearing a high-pitch sound and started to scream in agony as he fell on the ground.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Checkmate." Wells said.

* * *

Later, Hartley was apprehended and back in the Pipeline as Barry entered the Cortex. "OK."

"How do you feel?" Caitlin asked.

"Fine. I mean, there is a little ringing in my ears." Barry said loudly. "But other than that, I'm good, so..."

"Barry, keep your voice down a bit, please." Patty chuckled, holding his shoulder.

"Sorry." Barry said.

"It's OK. It'll pass." Caitlin assured him.

"Nice moves." Cisco said as he and Barry high-fived.

"Thank you." Barry said.

"Anytime." Cisco nodded. "I think I'm gonna take my doctor's advice and go lie down."

"What a great idea." Caitlin nodded, chuckling.

Cisco chuckled back. "Man, I feel like I'm hungover times ten."

"Not surprised." Caitlin said as Barry and Patty turned to Wells.

"It's difficult for me to admit when I'm wrong. Certainly in front of an entire city, but also... also to my closest friends." Wells said as Barry and Patty nodded. "So I hope one day... to restore your trust and faith in me."

"That day was today." Barry said.

"You've saved Barry's life many times, Doctor. That's all I can ask for." Patty said as they shook hands with Wells.

Patty then went out before she dialed a number. "Hey, Joe."

" _Patty. I'm know I'm asking for a lot but—_ "

"Don't worry." Patty said before lowering her voice. "I'll keep a close eye on Wells here."

* * *

Wells entered his hidden room as he had a device attached to his chest. "The real endgame is almost here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	13. Peek-a-boo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry deals with a metahuman, who can teleport as Patty's caught in a bit of an emotional turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry and Patty were on the couch, watching the film on TV as Patty laughed. "Let me get this straight, it didn't occur to those guys that the cylinders are dangerous?"

"Prequels. You can expect inconsistencies. Have you ever seen 'The Thing'?" Barry asked.

"The original from Carpenter was better. Frankly, the prequel didn't impress me." Patty said as Barry shot her a look.

"Come on, I mean, yeah, it was messy but you gotta admit, it explains a lot of things." Barry said.

"How's the training going?" Patty asked, changing the subject.

"I'm still not fast enough." Barry said as she held his hand.

"Barry, we're gonna take down the man in yellow." Patty promised and they were about to kiss before their phones went off.

"It's Joe."

"And Singh."

"That's never good if both of our phones go off at the same time." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, Iron Heights_ **

Barry and Patty entered the prison cell, investigating how did Clay Parker escape before Joe entered with a prison log in his hand.

"How did half of the cameras in the prison shut down?" Patty wondered. "You'd think someone would've noticed Clay Parker somehow getting out."

"But according to this log, he was still locked in his cell." Joe said.

"Not completely." Barry said, showing Joe some vial with particles floating inside it.

"What's that?" Joe asked.

"It's a kind of organic particulate residual." Barry said.

"It was here on the floor here in the cell and outside in the hallway. Like a trail of breadcrumbs going all the way outside." Patty added.

The guards then passed by the cell with cuffed Henry. "Dad." Barry smiled as Henry smiled back before they both held each other's hands as Henry smiled at Patty and Joe.

"So word around here is Parker pulled a Shawshank?" Henry asked.

"Yep. And none of the other prisoners heard or saw anything." Joe confirmed.

"They wouldn't talk to you about it." Henry said.

"Leaves us with not a lot to go on." Barry said.

"Well, if there's anyone who could figure out how Parker got out of here, it's you, son." Henry said before turning to Patty with a smile. "And you."

"Come on, Allen. Let's go." The guard said.

"Duty calls." Henry said as the guard escorted him as Barry and Patty smiled at Joe.

"So my dad just happened to come by?" Barry questioned.

"The guard owed me a favor." Joe shrugged.

"Thank you." Barry said.

"You're a good man, Joe." Patty said.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry showed Wells, Cisco and Caitlin the residue they had found in prison as they analyzed it in the computer.

"Not even Barry's cells move this fast. I've never seen anything like it." Caitlin said.

"So Clay Parker is a metahuman?" Joe questioned.

"Not so fast. The particulate residue that Barry and Patty gathered at Iron Heights does contain Clay Parker's DNA but also DNA of a woman." Wells said.

"Whoever's DNA it is, it must be the one, who got Parker out of prison and it's likely that she's a metahuman. If it was Parker, you'd think they'd notice it in prison." Patty realized.

"Run her DNA against the CCPD criminal database. See if you get a match." Barry suggested.

Cisco typed away as he pulled up a profile. "Yahtzee. Her name's Shawna Baez. Mostly petty crimes, and this girl likes to party, apparently. A long list of disorderly conducts at bars."

"So I'm guessing we find her, we find Clay Parker." Joe said. "Barry? Patty?"

"Yeah."

"Coming." Barry and Patty followed him.

"In the meantime, let's track these particulates and see how they work." Wells said.

* * *

**_Later, Iron Heights_ **

Barry and Patty were in the visitor's room, talking with Henry.

"What do you mean, you've been asking around?" Barry asked.

"Do you know a Marcus Stockheimer?" Henry asked as Barry handed Patty the receiver.

"A gangster. Not really high class." Patty shrugged. "He's from South Side. Why?"

"Word is Clay Parker was a runner for Marcus." Henry explained. "When Clay got pinched, Marcus lost a lot of money. Marcus doesn't like losing money.

"So Parker can't leave Central City until he's paid off his debt?" Barry realized.

"From what I'm told, if you're a member of the Stockheimer crew, you get out, first thing you do is pay them a visit or suffer the consequences." Henry explained.

"All right. No more playing cop." Barry warned. "Promise me." He said with a pleading look in his eyes.

"I hear you." Henry nodded with a reassuring smile.

"All right." Barry nodded.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Caitlin was drinking from her mug as Barry and Patty entered.

"I was analyzing the particulates that Clay Parker and Shawna Baez left behind. I found something very interesting." Caitlin showed them the cells on the screen. "When Clay's cells come into contact with Shawna's, they adopt her properties."

They saw the worried look in Caitlin's eyes. "Is everything OK, Caitlin?" Patty asked.

"Why would you ask that?" Caitlin asked nervously.

"You're doing that biting-your-lower-lip thing you do when something's bothering you." Barry noted.

Caitlin cleared her throat. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Patty questioned.

"Cisco says I don't have a life." Caitlin suddenly snapped, crossing her arms.

"You don't, do you?" Barry asked.

"I do." Caitlin blushed, getting awkward. "I cook and I eat. And I read and I help you."

"Does that sound like a 'normal life' to you?" Patty raised an eyebrow.

"Hey." Caitlin protested.

"So, why don't we hang out?" Barry suggested. "The three of us, getting a drink, tonight?"

"That's… not a bad idea. Go for a club, chit-chat, who knows what else." Patty chuckled.

Suddenly, the computer bleeped an alert as Caitlin turned to it. "There's an armed robbery in progress. Two suspects. Male and female. In their 20s."

"Bonnie and Clyde strike back." Patty quipped.

"Time to ruin their social life." Barry quipped.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

The Flash sped to the scene as he faced Shawna and Clay, with Clay having the guards of an armored van at gunpoint, while Shawna teleported with bags of cash before the Flash appeared.

"Oh, I've read about you. You're the Flash." Shawna smiled as the Flash chuckled back. "I've heard you're real fast. Let's see if it's true." Suddenly, she teleported herself, appearing behind the Flash as he turned around. "Catch me if you can."

The Flash quickly caught her, wrapping his arms around her. "I can."

Shawna stepped on his foot, causing for him to let her go as he groaned before she teleported herself onto the stairwell. "You've gotta be kidding me." The Flash groaned.

The Flash attempted to catch her but Shawna teleported herself up again. The Flash again caught her but as she teleported herself again, the Flash was holding onto the railing, about to fall down.

"Not too many men can keep up with me." Shawna smirked before she teleported herself to her car. The Flash sped towards her but as he heard the gunshot, he barely caught the bullet at the back of his neck that Clay fired at him from behind with his gun but the sudden stinging pain forced him to fall down as Shawna and Clay managed to escape.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"This is a bullet wound. You're lucky it just barely broke the skin." Caitlin said, treating Barry's wound.

"Guess I'm a lot faster than a speeding bullet." Barry said.

"And at least you heal fast enough that broken bones will recover within hours." Patty added.

Barry then noticed Wells entering. "Shawna Baez. She can teleport."

"As in, 'Beam me up, Shawna.'?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes. Of course. Quantum entanglement." Wells realized as they turned to him. "The ability to manipulate interconnected particles over an infinite distance. Or as Einstein put it, 'Spooky action at a distance.'"

"Every time I got close, she'd disappear." Barry said. "It was like we were playing a game of..."

"Peek-a-Boo." Caitlin said suddenly as they turned to her. "Come on, can't I name one?"

"There's no way Barry can catch someone, who can move from one place to another, if he doesn't know where is she gonna go." Patty said.

"Everybody has limits, Detective. Now that we know Shawna's powers, we'll focus on those limits." Wells assured as he left.

"So, are we still in for hanging out tonight?" Patty asked, turning to Caitlin.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

"Well, he doesn't really have pipes." Patty shrugged, observing the man on stage singing karaoke.

"Would you do better?" Barry asked.

"I'm not really much of a singer." Patty said before they saw Caitlin enter, wearing a black dress.

"Hey." Barry said.

"Nice dress." Patty said.

"I don't always dress like a high school principal." Caitlin shrugged as Barry and Patty chuckled before Caitlin sat down.

"According to their former associates and friends, Shawna Baez and Clay Parker used to hang out in this club." Patty said.

"I thought we could kill two birds with one stone." Caitlin said. "Look for them and get ourselves back out there."

Then they saw how sad Patty looked as she sighed. "Hey. What's wrong?" Barry asked.

"Nothing, it's just…" Patty took a breath as she looked around. "Bad memories, that's all. I'm sorry, this was a mistake, I shouldn't have come here."

"Patty. Patty!" Caitlin called out as Patty waltzed out before Caitlin turned to Barry in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Barry shook his head.

* * *

Patty went into an alley, as she was pacing and taking deep breaths.

"Patty. Patty!" Caitlin called out.

"Are you OK?" Barry asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Patty said, breathing out, making it apparent to both Barry and Caitlin that she was far from fine.

"Patty." Caitlin said, raising her brows. "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't have…" Patty breathed out. "It's just bringing back my Dad, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked.

"When I was 17, I used to help my Dad in a little shoe shop after school, because we had little money. Except, one day, I decided not to show up because I was being stupid and silly with my friends." Patty breathed out. "I didn't even call to tell him that I was ditching."

Barry then relaxed, remembering how she had told him about her father being mugged, and how it was hard for her to talk about it and now he knew why. "That day he got mugged and killed, did he?"

Patty nodded, breathing out, her eyes getting wet. "It was supposed to be me. He brough the deposits to the bank but it was supposed to be me."

"Patty…" Caitlin trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Come here." Barry said, hugging her tightly as Patty sobbed into his shoulder, while Caitlin then joined to give the embrace, doing the little she could to comfort her.

"It's gonna be OK, Patty. It's gonna be OK." Caitlin assured.

* * *

Later, they accompanied Patty back into her apartment.

"I'll take it from here. Thanks for the backup." Barry whispered to Caitlin, who nodded.

"I'll see you both tomorrow, OK?" Caitlin said as she walked off, while Patty entered the apartment as Barry turned on the light and closed the door behind them, while she was taking off her coat.

"Barry… I'm sorry for ruining—"

"No. You don't have to apologize." Barry interrupted her. "It's not like it's something you want to talk about. We get it, really."

"It's just been so long that I miss my Dad so much sometimes…" Patty sniffed. "Sometimes it feels like yesterday… other days it feels like a lifetime ago."

"I know what that's like." Barry nodded, remembering his mother. "Look, Patty, whatever you need, you know I'm here for you, do you?" He assured, holding her hand with a comforting smile.

Patty took deep breaths as they stared into each other's eyes. Neither of them was sure, who moved first but then they kissed as she took off Barry's jacket and he took off her top, while they laid down on the couch, giving into each other.

* * *

The alarm on Patty's phone went off as she picked it up. "Damn."

A moment later, Barry came to as well. "What the—"

"Barry, we should head back." Patty said, quickly looking for her clothes as Barry scrambled to his feet as they both got dressed.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Look, I'm sorry about last night, I should've considered you might get bad memories from—"

"Don't apologize, Barry. If anyone should be sorry, it's me." Patty said. "I just—"

"Sometimes it's easy to forget what you've lost, I get it. I'm not blaming you for anything." Barry said as she smiled.

"Thanks. You always have a good heart." Patty said.

"Hey." Caitlin smiled as she entered. "Are you—"

"I'm fine, really." Patty said before they entered the Cortex as they saw Wells glaring at Cisco with crossed arms as Cisco seemed sheepish.

"What's wrong?" Barry asked.

"Cisco… has something he needs to tell you." Wells said, the situation reminding Barry, Patty and Caitlin of parents visiting the school principal after their child had done something very wrong.

"Hartley's gone." Cisco said.

"He escaped from the pipeline?" Barry demanded.

"What? How?" Patty asked.

Cisco swallowed before confessing the truth. "I let him out."

"Why would you do that? After what he did to Barry and how many innocent people he hurt? Cisco, have you lost your mind?" Caitlin demanded, glaring.

"Hartley said he knew what happened to Ronnie." Cisco explained.

"I told you to let it go. I didn't want you looking into that for me." Caitlin reminded.

"I wasn't doing it for you. I..." Cisco paused and sighed. "I sealed Ronnie into the accelerator before it blew. He told me to wait two minutes. And I waited, but he didn't come back." Caitlin looked away, clearly reliving the pain but amplified by the new facts coming up to the surface. "And I can't stop thinking, 10... 20 seconds... and Ronnie wouldn't be like he is right now. I've wanted to tell you so many times. I'm so sorry."

"So you carried that around this whole time?" Caitlin asked as she neared Cisco. "Do you know what Ronnie would say if he was here? He would say that you did the right thing. It wasn't your fault. What happened that night wasn't anybody's fault." She assured him. "Come on. Don't we have a teleporter to catch?"

"We do have a teleporter to catch and fortunately, we do have a promising theory." Wells said as he approached the computer, where were Shawna's particles on the screen. "Take a look at this. Now, this is the normal behavior of the particulate that Shawna left behind. Watch what happens when we remove light." The particles suddenly stopped moving, much to Barry's, Caitlin's, Cisco's and Patty's surprise. "Shawna can only become entangled with something she can see. Take away her ability to do that..."

"…she can't teleport." Cisco finished.

"Exactly." Wells said.

"So we just need to get her into a dark space. How do we do that?" Caitlin asked.

"It's a valid question." Wells said before both Barry's and Patty's phones went off as they read the text and paled.

"Oh, my God…" Patty whispered.

"What's wrong?" Wells asked as he, Cisco and Caitlin gave Barry and Patty confused looks.

"My dad. He's been stabbed." Barry said.

* * *

_**Later, Iron Heights** _

Barry, Patty and Joe were in the prison infirmary as Henry was on stretcher after being treated as he had a bruised eye.

"Dad, what happened?" Barry asked.

"A rather stern reminder, I'd say, not to poke around Marcus Stockheimer's business." Henry said.

"Dad, I told you to stop." Barry reminded.

"Your dad called me with more intel." Joe said.

"And…?" Patty asked.

"It helped us track down Clay and Shawna and arrest Stockheimer." Joe said.

"I managed to screw up Marcus' big heist too so..." Henry chuckled.

"You two kept working together and didn't tell me?" Barry demanded as he turned to them both.

"It isn't his fault. I did it to help you." Henry said.

"How is you getting stabbed and beaten going to help Barry?" Patty argued.

"Look, I… I don't get to feel useful very much in here." Henry smiled as he turned to Barry. "So if I can help you for a change, I'm gonna want to be there for you. Just like you've been there for me all these years."

"Yeah." Barry nodded as Patty sighed. They could understand that.

"You said Marcus had a big heist coming up?" Joe asked as Henry nodded. "Do you know anything else about it?"

"Dad. Tell me who did this to you." Barry asked.

"It doesn't matter, slugger." Henry assured him.

"You said you wanted to help me, so help me." Barry insisted.

"One of Marcus' boys." Henry said after a moment of consideration. "Julius."

"OK." Barry nodded.

* * *

The Flash sped Julius out of his cell as they suddenly appeared outside Iron Heights, much to Julius's confusion. "What the hell?"

"Evening, Julius." The Flash quipped.

"How'd I get out here?" Julius demanded.

"You escaped." The Flash shrugged.

"When they catch me trying to escape, they're gonna add five years to my sentence." Julius said, paling.

"Ten, actually. Unless you tell me where Marcus Stockheimer's next job is gonna be." The Flash said before the prison alarms went off. "Whoa. Guards will be here any second. I'd start blabbing."

"OK! OK." Julius gave in. "It's a TDK money transfer truck coming from the federal reserve bank in St. Louis. Supposed to be millions. Delivery's around 8. That's all I know. I swear."

"That's right now." The Flash realized as he heard guard dogs barking before he sped off, leaving Julius alone as the guards were nearing him.

"Hey! Hey, what about me?" Julius called out.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

Shawna and Clay were in a car following the truck with the money as Shawna teleported herself into the truck and back with the cash she had collected. As the car was driving down the road into the tunnel, suddenly, they had to face the Flash.

Shawna teleported herself out of the car as she was facing the speedster. "Why the hell do you care what we do? Are you a cop or something?"

"Something." The Flash nodded.

Shawna pulled out a telescopic stick and teleported herself, hitting the Flash in the back from behind before she teleported herself again and hit him in the leg as he fell on his knees. The Flash got up but she hit him in the back again, before he dodged and grabbed her.

Shawna teleported them both onto a construction worker lift as she kicked off a worker. The Flash was forced to catch the worker and stop his fall. The Flash then chased Shawna as they struggled, with the Flash dodging as she attacked with her stick again.

The Flash heard the engine rev as he turned around and saw Clay about to drive off, with Shawna teleporting herself onto the passenger seat. The Flash dodged as Clay was about to run him down.

" _Barry, remember. She cannot teleport if she cannot see. Limit her field of vision._ " Wells advised.

The Flash picked a wrench and ran on the wall, breaking the lights, leaving the tunnel in the dark before he smashed the lights on Clay's car. The Flash opened the car to see Shawna in tears, with the driver's seat empty.

"He left me." Shawna said, clearly heartbroken as the Flash felt sad for her.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Shawna was later locked in the Pipeline cell as she was looking around, confused, trying to teleport out.

"There any way she can teleport out of this?" Barry asked.

"It's impossible. It's one-way glass. It's mirrored on the inside. No one dangerous is ever gonna get out of this thing again." Cisco said, clearly still bitter about letting Hartley escape.

"Shawna." Barry called out as Shawna looked sad. "Clay left you. He's out there and you're in here."

"You know what the crazy thing is?" Shawna said. "I still love him."

They felt bad for her as Cisco closed the door.

"'Crazy' is right." Caitlin quipped

"Some people are worth being crazy for." Barry said as they were walking off with Caitlin.

"Look, guys, I'm sorry about freaking out the other night." Patty sighed.

"No, we get it, really. It's OK." Caitlin assured her. "But, Patty, if you need anything, we're here for you."

"Thanks." Patty smiled as Barry and Caitlin hugged her.

"And we're going to find a way to help you with Stein and Ronnie. And that's a promise." Barry said.

* * *

_**Later, Iron Heights** _

Barry again came to visit Henry in the prison infirmary.

"Hey, did you see this?" Henry showed Barry the news article about the Flash facing off Snart and Mick.

"No. I haven't." Barry said.

"The Flash." Henry said, looking at the paper. "I saw him once in here. Watched him save Joe's life."

"Joe told me about that. I guess he was lucky." Barry said.

"Hmm. Lucky Joe." Henry mused as he stared at the article. "Strangest thing. I get roughed by up Julius, end up in here. Next thing I know, Julius is caught trying to escape. Claims the Flash broke him out. Won't be seeing Julius for a long time now." He shot Barry a look as they both chuckled. "Guess I'm lucky too, huh?"

"Dad." Barry chuckled. "If I was the Flash, don't you think that you'd be the first to know about it?"

"Yeah." Henry smiled. "Well, if the Flash were my son, I'd tell him a few things. First off, I'd tell him it's a dangerous world, so be careful." Barry looked at his father, considering. "Then I'd tell him he's a hero. And he's saving a lot of lives." Henry smiled at him proudly. "But the most important thing for him to know, I feel is that his father's proud of him."

Barry nodded, his eyes getting wet as Henry held his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just, if you want to know out of curiosity, the film Barry and Patty were watching at the beginning was "Prometheus" (2012 film), a prequel to "Alien". I myself found "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" like "Meh" and trying to leave a bad taste for a good franchise. Not bad as films but as linked to Alien series it could've been handled better, just my opinion.
> 
> Not sure if I did fine with the change of Caitlin's drunken karaoke performance and later Barry accompanying her home, since that's one of the few moments I would've wanted SnowBarry in The Flash as I tried to go more with Barry/Patty, or as some people call it, SpAllen and I didn't do Barry again talking with Iris as The Flash, since that would be too annoying and on verge of stalking, IMO and as for Iris getting Barry's photo, let's just say she got a picture of him, when he fought Snart and Mick in 1x10, OK?
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	14. Firestorm - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ronnie re-emerges, Barry and Team Flash investigate the mystery surrounding him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

_**CC Jitters** _

"God, what ice cream is that?" Barry gagged.

"I guess they put too much coffee grains in it. I need to tell them to change up the recipe." Iris said.

"Good idea." Barry nodded as they handed Iris the cups with ice cream.

"Iris, no offense but they should stick with classic chocolate, vanilla and pistachio and that kind of stuff, this creative stuff doesn't work with coffee shop." Patty said.

"I'll… let the manager know." Iris nodded.

"Thank God we didn't take the ice cream." Cisco said.

"No kidding." Caitlin nodded before Cisco had to answer a call.

"Hey, I gotta go. I gotta help out a friend." Cisco said as he left.

"Everything OK? We just got here." Barry said.

"Yeah. I'll see you later." Cisco said as he went downstairs.

"Guys." Patty pointed to the TV as they watched the news report about a physicist being attacked.

" _Quale was attacked near his lab at Concordance Research last night. There were several unsubstantiated reports of the so-called Burning Man in the area following the attack._ " The anchor announced.

"Burning Man? Caitlin, weren't you asking about him a few weeks ago?" Iris asked.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Well, it appears letting Ronnie roam free is no longer an option." Wells said.

"He's not even Ronnie anymore." Caitlin said, disturbed. "He's Martin Stein walking around in Ronnie's body. Like a vampire."

"Is there a reason Stein's brain is in control of Ronnie's body, not the other way around?" Barry wondered.

"Simple Darwinism, I suspect." Wells mused. "A brand new organism will select the strongest parts of itself in order to survive. Survival of the fittest. In this case, Ronnie's body, Stein's mind. But any event, he badly hurt an innocent man and we have hunted meta-humans for less. Caitlin..." He turned to her. "...we need to know that you're on board with what needs to be done here."

Caitlin seemed hesitant for a moment. "How do we find him?"

"Quentin Quale, the scientist that Ronnie attacked is a former colleague of Martin Stein." Wells said. "If Martin is indeed in control of Ronnie's body..."

"…then maybe he's trying to understand what's happening to him." Patty finished as Wells nodded.

"What do we know about him? I don't even know what Stein looks like." Barry said before Wells showed Stein's photo on the screen.

"Martin Stein." Wells said.

"That's Stein?" Barry asked, recognizing him.

"It is." Wells nodded.

"You know him?" Patty asked.

"I've seen him before." Barry nodded as he took a closer look at Stein's photo.

"When?" Caitlin asked.

"On the train, the day the accelerator exploded." Barry said.

* * *

_**December 11th, 2013, Central City** _

_Barry was in a train on his way to Central City, reading Wells' autobiography as he watched S.T.A.R. Labs through the window._

_"Super cool, isn't it?" Barry asked as he turned to an elderly man with grey hair and wearing glasses and a brown coat. "Uh, S.T.A.R. Labs, I mean."_

_"Yes, it's super cool." Professor Stein said awkwardly. "Trust Harrison Wells to build a particle accelerator with a bit of style. Most scientists don't have an appreciation for the value of aesthetics."_

_Barry turned to S.T.A.R. Labs again. "Albert Einstein said, "Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is actually something..."_

_"…wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." Stein finished as Barry nodded, smiling. "I thought people your age didn't read actual books anymore." He said, looking at Barry with interest._

_"Oh, I'm the only one." Barry stammered._

_"Oh." Stein nodded. "Physics. Hobby or endeavor?"_

_"Both, actually." Barry said. "I'm a CSI. I work for the Central City Police Department."_

_"Really? You look too young for that." Stein noted, surprised._

_"That is what they tell me." Barry nodded before turning to S.T.A.R. Labs again. "Are you gonna watch the accelerator turn on tonight?"_

_"I wouldn't miss it." Stein nodded._

_"They say it's gonna change the world." Barry said._

_"I hope so." Stein nodded again, smiling._

* * *

**_Present_ **

Later, Barry, Caitlin, Wells and Patty came to visit Clarissa, Stein's wife.

"Of course I've heard of S.T.A.R Labs. Martin was always vocal about the competition." Clarissa said.

"S.T.A.R. Labs is actually helping the CCPD looking into your husband's disappearance, Mrs. Stein." Barry said.

"Oh, please, call me Clarissa." Clarissa said.

"The Conway Prize for Scientific Advancement." Wells looked at the awards on the desk.

"Martin was very proud of that one." Clarissa noted.

"Well, I always hoped to win one of these myself." Wells nodded. "Oh, and look at that, he won it three times."

"Not many people can bruise Harrison Wells's ego." Patty chuckled.

"Martin had a talent for making people jealous." Clarissa nodded, smiling. "Even me. I sometimes think Martin loved his theorems and experiments more than he did me."

"I'm sure that's not true." Caitlin assured her.

"And you haven't heard from your husband since he disappeared?" Barry inquired.

"No." Clarissa shook her head.

"Mrs. Stein, I'm going to show you a photo." Patty showed Clarissa a photo of Ronnie. "Have you seen this man before?"

Clarissa took a closer look and nodded. "Yes, I have." Caitlin looked shock for a moment. "Who is he?"

Barry and Patty hesitated. "Well…"

"Um…"

"He's a person of interest in your husband's case." Wells lied.

"When did you see him?" Caitlin asked.

Clarissa took a breath. "I started getting the feeling that someone was watching me. Sometimes I still do. And about a month after Martin disappeared, that young man showed up here."

* * *

Barry, Caitlin, Wells and Patty went out from Clarissa's house as all pieces fell together.

"It appears Martin Stein and Ronnie Raymond have something in common besides sharing a body." Wells said. "They both feel the need to protect the women they love."

"Clarissa said she feels like she's being watched." Barry remembered.

"Well, then..." Wells looked around. "...this has all the makings of a stakeout."

"I guess I'll bring us some coffee for tonight." Patty said.

* * *

Later at night, Barry, Patty, Caitlin and Wells were on a stakeout.

"Barry, when we track down Ronnie or Stein or… whoever he is now—"

"We're going to find a way to help him." Barry assured Patty.

"But what if you can't?" Patty asked. "Look, I'm not saying we should… put him down or send him into the Pipeline but he's not making the best case for himself. He's been stalking Clarissa, he attacked an innocent man…"

"Patty. We'll cross that bridge, when it comes down to it." Barry held her hand before they watched the street.

"When I was a little girl and Dad had to work overnight, I'd just stare outside my window, not able to sleep. I'd watch the cars drive down the street, and prepare this speech in my mind before I'd spot his car and go to bed." Patty said. "I'd pretend to be still asleep as Dad would check in on me before I'd wake up and hug him tightly, saying how much I missed him and how much would bogeymen scare me." She smiled, reliving the memory. "You know, I just wish he'd be there for me."

"Patty…" Barry held her hand. "You're not alone. We're all here for you. And Caitlin."

Suddenly, they saw what seemed to be a man on fire fly in the sky.

"Barry, please, tell me you brought your suit." Patty said.

* * *

The Flash sped in front of Stein in Ronnie's body.

"Professor Stein!" The Flash said as Stein neared him. "Hey, I'm not here to hurt you. And I know you don't wanna hurt anyone else. So if you could just not..." Stein flamed on. "...flame on."

Stein threw a blast of fire as the Flash dodged before he saw a car explode. The Flash slammed Stein to a pillar before Stein flew up, trying to shake him off as Caitlin, Wells and Patty followed them.

Stein shook Barry off as he was falling down before Stein threw him towards Caitlin's van as he crashed against the windshield and then fell down. Stein landed down and was about to attack before Caitlin stepped up. "No!"

Stein flew up as Caitlin and Patty neared Barry.

"Barry, you OK?" Patty asked.

"Well, that was terrifying." Barry groaned.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"And now we've got several calls about sightings of the Burning Man from last night." Patty muttered as they were going over the reports. "Barry, if we don't find a way to contain Stein somehow—"

"Patty, I don't even want to think about it." Barry shook his head.

"I know you don't. And me neither, trust me. But look at the damage that has been done already." Patty pointed out before Barry's phone went off with Caitlin calling.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

Barry, Patty, Caitlin and Clarissa went down the street as they found Stein under the roads.

"There he is. Looks like the tracker Barry placed on him worked." Caitlin said. "Professor Stein?"

"I told you to stay away from me." Stein sighed, turning around.

"And I will but there's someone else who wants to talk to you." Caitlin said.

"Martin?" Clarissa called out as Stein stopped and turned around to face her. "Do you know who I am?"

"Clarissa?" Stein asked.

"Is it really you?" Clarissa asked, still in shock.

"I don't know." Stein breathed out. "I hear the other inside of me, and he wants to go home to her." He turned to Caitlin, all of them apparently still in shock at the sight. "But we can't. I just want to be me again." He panted out, his situation apparently disturbing him.

"Martin. What's my favorite color?" Clarissa asked.

"You could... You could never decide." Stein remembered. "So you chose stripes." Clarissa breathed out, realizing it was her husband. "You shouldn't see me like this."

Clarissa sobbed, caressing his cheek. "I see you. I see you, Martin. These people can help you. They say they can. Please, let them."

Stein turned to Barry, Patty and Caitlin with pleading eyes. "Please, help us."

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Well, we got him. Them. Now what?" Barry asked.

"Stein clearly thinks he can separate himself from Ronnie's body using nuclear fission." Wells said.

"What do you think?" Caitlin asked.

"What do I think?" Wells sighed. "Is it possible? Theoretically. Splitting an atom and splitting a man are two very different things."

They turned to Stein, who apparently was in control of Ronnie's body, with new clothes, cut hair, shaved and cleaned up, none of them help themselves but stare, still not used to the sight, especially Caitlin.

"I don't suppose it's necessary to point out you're all staring." Stein said. Barry, Patty, Caitlin and Wells share awkward looks before turning to Stein again.

"Our apologies." Wells said.

"It is remarkable. I feel clearer than I have since the accident." Stein said. "What did you give me?"

"A cocktail of antipsychotics. Depressants, mood stabilizers." Wells explained.

"The same formula used to treat dissociative identity disorder." Stein realized as he turned to Caitlin. "I assume this was your idea?" She nodded. "Very clever, Cait."

"Don't call me that, please." Caitlin said, clearly uncomfortable.

"I apologize." Stein said.

"We'd like to run some tests on you, if you don't mind." Caitlin said.

"Of course, Dr. Snow." Stein nodded.

* * *

Later, Caitlin was running tests on Stein before Wells summoned her into the Cortex.

"You OK?" Barry asked her.

"Yeah, it's just confusing." Caitlin admitted.

"What isn't confusing is what's happening to him now." Wells said, looking at the readings on the computer. "Ronnie's body is rejecting Stein's atoms like a host rejecting a parasite. The resulting instability is causing an exothermic reaction. I worry, if his temperature continues to rise, it'll set off a chain reaction."

"And then what happens?" Barry asked as Wells turned to him, Caitlin and Patty with grim look.

"He could go nuclear." Wells said.

* * *

Later, Cisco entered the treadmill chamber as he saw Ronnie, hoping it would be his old friend. "Ronnie." Stein turned to him and then it hit Cisco, who immediately felt awkward. "Not Ronnie."

"Martin Stein." He offered his hand as Cisco shook it.

"Cisco Ramon."

"Your colleagues are in the next room, not so subtly discussing my condition." Stein said.

* * *

Cisco went out and approached Wells, Barry, Patty and Caitlin, clearly freaked out. "That's not freaky at all."

"It seems Ronnie's fight with the Flash has exacerbated the Firestorm matrix. It's unstable." Wells explained. "It's exponentially increasing the rate of fission inside his body."

"How long does he have?" Caitlin asked.

"If his temperature keeps rising at the current pace, no more than a couple of hours." Wells said.

"There's gotta be a way to fix it. Is there?" Patty asked.

"Can you separate them before it's too late?" Barry inquired.

"Any attempt we make to separate the two of them could be catastrophic. A nuclear explosion." Wells explained. "And a nuclear explosion of this magnitude would level this entire city. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Barry asked.

"Unless the host body were no longer functional." Wells said as Caitlin stared at him in shock and disbelief.

"You wanna kill Ronnie?" Caitlin demanded.

"No, I don't wanna kill Ronnie." Wells shook his head. "But in this scenario, Ronnie is the host body."

"If you kill Ronnie, you kill Stein. That's two people." Cisco protested.

"I don't know how else to stop it." Wells said. "And my guess is that if Ronnie and Professor Stein knew the consequences that we were all facing, they would make the same decision." Barry wiped his face as Patty sighed. "It's two lives for millions."

Caitlin turned to Barry, Patty and Cisco. "Can you give us a minute?"

Barry, Cisco and Patty left, leaving Caitlin alone with Wells.

"Caitlin—"

"I've already lost Ronnie once. I'm not gonna do it again." Caitlin interrupted Wells. "You said we have a couple of hours. Use them."

* * *

"Hey." Barry called out, entering the Speed Lab as Stein turned to him. "Sorry. Can I get you anything, or—"

"A glass of Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan 1982 might be nice." Stein mused. "Or maybe it wouldn't. This body's taste buds would obviously be different from my own. Perhaps I'm now a light beer man."

"Could be worse." Patty shrugged.

"You mean like a living nuclear bomb?" Stein asked as Barry and Patty had sympathetic looks.

"You know." Barry realized.

"Unstable nuclear fission was always a danger in the transmutation process." Plus, you all argue very loudly." Stein said as he went out, while Barry and Patty were following him.

"I'm sorry. But my friends are gonna figure out how to fix this, I promise." Barry said.

"I remember meeting you, Mr. Allen, on the train." Stein said as they entered the Cortex. "You were headed to S.T.A.R. Labs with a girl, but not your girlfriend."

Patty flushed as Barry sighed, leaning onto the computer desk. "Yeah."

"I've seen how you two look at each other. Just as Clarissa looks at me, Detective Spivot." Stein said. "You know, Einstein was not only brilliant, he had a great sense of humor." He paced, trying to remember. "How did it go? 'Any man who drives safely while kissing a pretty girl, is not giving the pretty girl the attention she deserves.'"

Patty smiled. "We're trying to work things out but… it's not easy. Things are…"

"…complicated, as you have seen." Barry said. "You saved mine and Patty's lives during the Christmas. I think you can understand that, Professor."

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Barry asked as they went out.

"I think he may have a point but it's not that simple." Patty said.

"It rarely is. But I'm willing to try. What about you?" Barry said.

"I am, too. I don't know where we'll end up but I'm willing to see it through." Patty held his hand.

* * *

They went back into the Cortex as Barry turned to Wells. "Hey, anything?"

"I have an idea. It's a bit of a Hail Mary, but Cisco and I are gonna give it a try." Wells said.

"Thank you." Caitlin smiled.

"I'll get Professor Stein." Barry was about to leave before Cisco entered.

"Looking for the professor? Yeah, he's gone." Cisco said, much to their horror.

* * *

"You guys almost done?" Barry asked, while suiting up and Cisco and Wells were finishing some device.

"Hang on, hang on." Cisco said.

"I found Stein. He's in the badlands. The middle of nowhere, 30 miles outside of Central City." Caitlin said.

"Minimum safe distance." Cisco said.

"He's sacrificing himself." Wells realized.

"To make sure no one gets caught in the explosion." Patty added.

"How much time does he have left?" Barry inquired.

"12 minutes." Cisco said as he and Wells finished the device.

"And we're done." Wells said.

"What is it?" Barry asked.

"This is a quantum splicer." Wells said.

"Will it work to separate them?" Caitlin asked.

"We'll know in 12 minutes." Wells said, handing Barry the quantum splicer. "Now, Barry, even you can't outrun a nuclear blast, so you get this device to Professor Stein and you get out of there as fast as you can."

Then they noticed Caitlin walking off too.

"Wait, Caitlin, what are you doing?" Patty asked.

"I'm going with Barry." Caitlin said.

"No, you're not." Barry protested.

"It's too dangerous." Wells protested.

"Barry doesn't know how to operate the splicer." Caitlin said, putting on her coat.

"Cisco's gonna talk me through it." Barry argued.

"There's not enough time." Caitlin countered as Barry sighed. "Let's go."

"Go." Wells insisted before Barry sped off with Patty and they heard the computer ping. "What was that?" Wells asked as Cisco turned to the computer.

"Uh, comm system's on the fritz. I'll be right back." Cisco said before he went into a corridor and then a few moments later, Patty's phone rang as she looked at it, noticing the results of the blood samples that Cisco and Joe had found in Barry's old home, noticing that the blood sample was of an adult Barry.

"Oh, my God…" Patty whispered.

"What is it, Patty?" Wells asked.

"A perp that we've been chasing for a while now, I think we finally got him. I gotta go." Patty ran off.

* * *

_**Badlands outside Central City** _

Stein was in the middle of badlands, readying his gun before the Flash sped to the scene with Caitlin.

"Professor Stein!" Barry called out as Stein turned around.

"What are you doing here? You can't be here! Get her out of here, now!" Stein ordered.

"Please, look, Ronnie's still in there somewhere." Caitlin begged, nearing Stein.

"All those people, Clarissa, I won't let them die. It's better I end this now." Stein said.

"We can separate you! We can stop the explosion." Barry pleaded as Stein was about to shoot himself.

"How?" Stein demanded.

"A quantum splicer." Caitlin showed him the device in her hand. "It's a fission device designed to bombard your atoms with as much energy as they experienced in the particle accelerator explosion. It should be enough to separate you. Please, professor, you have nothing left to lose." She put the device on Stein's chest as she looked into the eyes of her fiancé. "Ronnie, if you're in there, I love you."

Stein kissed Caitlin before pulling away. "That was from him."

"I look forward to meeting you in person, Professor." Caitlin said as she attached the splicer to Stein, who started to go up in flames. "It's not working!"

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Oh, my God…" Patty whispered.

"He's not gonna make it. He's gonna blow." Cisco realized.

"Get out of there. Barry, get out of there, now!" Wells ordered.

* * *

**_Badlands outside Central City_ **

Stein was being consumed by flames as Caitlin was trying to reach out in despair, while Barry was holding her back.

"Oh, no. No, no!" Caitlin cried out.

"Caitlin, we have to go." Barry ordered.

"Run!" Stein yelled before screaming in agony.

"No!" Caitlin exclaimed as Barry picked her off and sped off and Stein exploded, while Barry was trying to outrun the blast with Caitlin in his arms.

* * *

_**Elsewhere** _

In a U.S. military base, the soldiers were observing the readings on a map on the screen one of the soldiers approached the man in general's outfit.

"Sir, we have a thermonuclear detonation, approximately 30 miles northeast of Central City."

"Deploy the Rapid Response Team, sergeant. Bring me Firestorm." General Eiling ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get me started on how not cool it was from Iris how she sabotaged Barry/Linda by implying that he had feelings for "someone else" but Barry never told Iris about how he felt and I'm trying to make Barry's and Iris's relationship more on friendly basis and make her more tolerable. But I'm not involving Iris in here much since unless there's a big issue I have with her that needs fixing or addressing, don't expect her to appear in here unless I deem it necessary. Some people argue that Iris sabotaged the relationship on accident but I don't buy it, considering how hurt she was after she saw Barry return to Linda and ate the ghost chili pepper in front of dozens of people to convince Linda to go out with him.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	15. Firestorm - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Team Flash helps Ronnie and Stein with their ordeal but they soon find out that an old enemy is interested in Firestorm as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry kept on running with Caitlin in his arms, trying to outrun the nuclear blast.

"Barry. Barry, what happened out there?" Wells called out.

"Are you guys OK?" Cisco called out.

Barry and Caitlin fell down, around them ashes.

"Are you OK?" Caitlin asked.

"I think so." Barry said before they saw the mushroom cloud in the distance.

"Oh, God. The nuclear explosion. There's no telling how much radiation we were exposed to." Caitlin said.

Cisco looked at the readings on Barry's suit. "Wait, wait. This can't be. The Geiger counter in the suit, it's reading less than one millirad."

"But that's normal." Barry said.

"There's no radiation." Wells realized as he, Patty and Cisco turned to each other.

"If they're fine, what happened with Ronnie and Professor?" Patty wondered.

"Let's go." Barry picked Caitlin up as they sped towards the ground zero of the explosion, where Ronnie was.

"Did it work? Did you separate them?" Cisco asked.

"I don't know." Barry said before they found Ronnie on the ground, unconscious with shredded clothes.

"Ronnie?" Caitlin knelt towards him as Ronnie came to. "Tell me your name."

"Ronnie Raymond." Ronnie said before he kissed her. "Cait. It's me."

A moment later, Stein appeared, with shredded clothes as well as they turned to him. "Uh, pardon me. Obviously, I need a change of clothes."

"Nice to see you in the flesh again, Professor Stein." Barry smiled as he turned to Ronnie, who was getting up on his feet. "We're coming home. All of us."

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry, Caitlin, Ronnie and Stein went out from the elevator as Cisco smiled.

"Ronnie Raymond."

"Cisco." They both high-fived before hugging each other as they laughed.

"I missed you so much, man." Cisco said before pulling away, feeling guilty. "I shouldn't have locked you in there."

"Hey. Don't." Ronnie assured him as Wells and Patty entered.

"Welcome back, Mr. Raymond." Wells said as Ronnie noticed him on wheelchair.

"Dr. Wells. Caitlin told me what happened to you." Ronnie said. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm responsible for putting myself in this chair. You are responsible for my still being alive. Thank you." Wells said.

"I'm Detective Patty Spivot, by the way." Patty offered her hand to Ronnie. "Caitlin told me and Barry a lot about you. It's… good to see that you're back."

"Nice to meet you too." Ronnie shook his hand with her before Caitlin turned to Wells.

"You said you'd bring him back and you did. Thank you." Caitlin held Ronnie's shoulder, smiling.

"You're welcome." Wells nodded.

"Uh, excuse me." Stein said as they turned to him. "Are we all planning to sing "Kumbaya" next?"

"Professor Stein, I presume." Wells said.

"Harrison Wells." Stein smiled. "Do you have somewhere I can freshen up and get a change of clothes?"

"Of course." Wells nodded as they accompanied Stein and Ronnie.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Barry and Patty accompanied Stein to Clarissa's house.

"I can't believe it. Uh, wait." Stein said as they stopped at the front porch. "Uh, what should I say?"

"I don't think you're gonna have to say anything." Barry assured the elderly man.

The door opened as Clarissa went out, staring at Stein in surprise.

"Clarissa. I'm so sorry I put you through this." Stein said.

Clarissa hugged Stein tightly and kissed him before she turned to Barry and Patty. "Thank you."

"Mr… Barry." Stein hesitated.

"Yeah." Barry said.

"Barry, Detective, I… I know I can be difficult but thank you for bringing me home." Stein said.

Barry and Patty nodded. "We'll see you soon, professor."

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Barry and Patty entered the lab as they saw Joe watching the news report about the explosion in the badlands.

"Hey." Barry called out.

"I left you three messages." Joe said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." Barry nodded.

"About the lack of communication or that hole out in the badlands?" Joe demanded.

"Everyone made it out, don't worry." Patty assured him.

"I wasn't calling about the explosion. I have to show you something." Joe said, leaving them both confused.

"What?" Barry asked as they followed Joe.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

They returned to Barry's childhood house as he looked around, remembering.

"It's smaller than I remember." Barry said.

"Yeah, it's because you're bigger." Joe said as they entered. "Have you been in here? I mean, recently?"

"No." Barry shook his head. "I haven't been in this house since that night."

"Bar." Joe showed Barry the mirror on Cisco's device. "This mirror. Do you remember it?"

"Yeah." Barry nodded. "It belonged to my grandma. How is it still here?"

"Just be glad it is." Joe said as he took a breath. "Look, I don't fully know how Cisco did it, but—"

"Did what?" Patty asked.

"Joe, what are we doing here?" Barry asked before Joe turned on the device, showing Barry and Patty a holographic image of Nora on her knees, clearly frightened, surrounded by red and yellow blur.

"Mom." Barry whispered.

"You can definitely see two very fast people fighting around your mother." Joe said.

"Two speedsters." Patty realized as Joe nodded before pointing at the blood on the curtain.

"You see that?" Joe asked.

"The blood?" Barry asked.

"Cisco and I had the DNA tested. It's yours." Joe said.

Barry shook his head. "No, it's not. That's impossible. I wasn't even downstairs yet."

"No, Barry, not that you. This you." Joe pointed at Barry.

"Wait, that blood analysis of the adult Barry…" Patty remembered as Joe nodded.

"What?" Barry asked, confused.

"Cisco had the samples analyzed and the proteins in the blood were that of an adult, not a child." Joe said as the realization hit Barry.

"But that means…" Barry trailed off.

"The speedster trying to stop the man in yellow..." Joe said.

"…is you." Patty finished, turning to Barry.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Time travel." Wells mused as Barry, Cisco, Joe and Patty filled him in.

"If the last five months have proven anything, it's that anything can exist. But to actually travel through time?" Barry wondered.

"Well, the greatest minds in human history put their collective genius towards solving that puzzle." Wells said.

"So, is it possible?" Joe inquired.

"Yes, it's possible." Wells nodded. "But problematic. I mean... assuming you could create the conditions necessary to take that journey, well that journey would then be fraught with potential pitfalls. Novikov principle of self-consistency for example—"

"Wait, the what now?" Joe asked, puzzled.

"If you travel back in time to change something, then you end up being the causal factor of that event." Barry said.

"Like 'Terminator'." Cisco said.

"Ah." Joe nodded.

"Or is time plastic? Is it mutable, whereby any changes to the continuum could create an alternate timeline?" Wells mused.

"Back to the Future." Patty said.

"Oh." Joe nodded. "I saw that one too."

"'Doc Brown.' Tremendous picture." Wells said.

"Right. So, what's the answer?" Joe asked.

"I might be a clever guy, but if you're asking me to give you a working theory on how to travel through time, I'm afraid I just can't do that." Wells said.

"There is someone else you can talk to about this." Cisco realized.

* * *

**_Later, Stein residence_ **

Barry rang the bell as Clarissa opened the door, smiling. "Barry."

"Mrs. Stein, I'm sorry to bother you here but is Professor Stein here right now?" Barry asked.

"Well, after a year apart, I'm not letting him out of my sight." Clarissa folded her arms. "S.T.A.R. Labs did quite a few tests on Martin, didn't they? And they said he was fine?"

"Yeah. Why? Something wrong?" Barry asked.

"He just seems a little different, is all." Clarissa said.

"Different how?" Barry asked.

"He's been asking for pizza. Martin despises pizza." Clarissa said before Stein appeared.

"Is that the delivery man? Oh, Mr. Allen." Stein noticed Barry. "I suppose it's too much to hope you moonlight as a pizza boy. I am famished."

"OK." Barry nodded before he sped off and returned back with a box of pizza, handing it to Clarissa.

"Bravo! Please, come in, Mr. Allen." Stein smiled as Clarissa let Barry in, while he opened the box. "What can I do for you?"

"I needed to talk to you about a paper that you wrote 25 years ago for the Oxford University Press." Barry said.

"I have written many papers for that publication. Could you be more specific about the subject matter?" Stein asked.

"Time travel." Barry said and Stein stopped as he took a bite from a slice of pizza.

* * *

Stein unveiled the table with formulas scribbled on it. "These are just a few of the random thoughts I've had on the subject."

"A few?" Barry repeated, raising his brows.

"See, I believe that space-time is a free-flowing highway that intersects the physical world. We live in the moments between the on and off ramps." Stein said as he and Barry paced down Stein's office. "Theoretically, to travel through time, one merely needs to find a way onto the highway."

"OK, so you're saying that this is actually possible, to travel into the future?" Barry asked.

"Undoubtedly." Stein said, more than enthusiastic.

"What about the past?" Barry asked.

"Yes." Stein nodded, banging his hand like a gavel. "My own personal choice would be the Chicago World's Fair, 1893. I think Nikola Tesla and I, we'd have some wonderful arguments. What about you? Would you be interested in taking a trip into history?"

"I think that I already have." Barry said as Stein seemed confused. "Professor, um... 15 years ago, my mom was murdered and we recently discovered some evidence that…" He took a breath. "I was there that night, and not just as a kid but as an adult."

Stein considered for a moment. "That must be a side effect of your incredible speed. In some future date, you actually move so fast that the resulting kinetic energy buildup smashes a hole in the space-time continuum." He tapped himself on the head, clearly enthusiastic about it as he laughed as he saw Barry lowering his head. "You seem disappointed by the prospect."

"I mean, if I do... somehow make it back there to that night, then… it means that I didn't save her." Barry said as Stein's face shattered. "My destiny is to fail."

* * *

**_CC Jitters_ **

Caitlin and Ronnie were catching up until some soldiers fired in smoke grenades as people coughed and Ronnie ran out until he was surrounded by soldiers in an alley.

* * *

_**Stein residence** _

Stein suddenly breathed out, dropping his glass.

"Professor." Barry neared him.

"Martin. What's wrong?" Clarissa asked.

"I don't know. I feel terrified. My heart is racing. I think... I think Ronald is in trouble." Stein said.

"How could you know that?" Barry wondered.

"Jitters. He needs help. Go." Stein ordered and Barry sped off.

* * *

_**CC Jitters** _

"Ronald Raymond. The burning man himself." General Eiling said, nearing Ronnie. "Half of him, anyway."

"Who are you?" Ronnie demanded.

"General Wade Eiling, United States Army." He introduced himself.

"What do you want?" Ronnie demanded.

"Firestorm." Eiling said.

The Flash sped in, knocking out the soldiers before Eiling threw into the air some small device and as it exploded, several metallic fragments embedded themselves onto the Flash, who fell down, groaning in pain.

"It stings, does it?" Eiling laughed. "Had that one developed especially for you. Micro-fragments attracted to kinetic energy. Firestorm was tonight's main objective, but getting you, that's just gravy."

A van drove in as Ronnie punched Eiling, knocking him down before Caitlin opened the door. "Get in!"

Ronnie helped the Flash, who was still groaning, get up as they both entered the van as it drove away.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Caitlin was removing the fragments from Barry as he was on the stretcher.

"You need to hurry. Barry's wounds are starting to heal with fragments under his skin." Wells said.

"It's just like that time I stepped on a sea urchin. Only much worse." Cisco said as Barry groaned, while Caitlin was pulling out the fragments.

"Just don't pee on me." Barry groaned.

"You know that's a myth, right?" Cisco said.

"I got here as soon as I got the call." Patty said upon entering. "What happened?"

"Army tried to kidnap Ronnie and almost grabbed Barry." Cisco said as it hit Patty.

"Eiling." Patty said and Cisco nodded.

Barry groaned as Caitlin pulled out another fragment, while she cursed herself. "I'm so stupid. Jason Rusch, that grad student who is helping Professor Stein with his Firestorm research, he said that the Army took all of Stein's material when he disappeared. I should have known it was General Eiling."

"Not your fault." Wells assured her. "He still thinks you hold the keys to the ultimate human weapon, both of you." He glanced at Barry and Ronnie.

"OK, let's just finish this. I gotta get to Stein's house, Eiling's gonna be after him too." Barry said.

"Stein's fine." Ronnie said as he turned his head.

"How do you know?" Cisco asked.

"He's right there." Ronnie said as they turned to see Stein at the entrance to the Cortex.

"I don't think Mr. Raymond and I are as distinctive as we had hoped." Stein said.

* * *

"I'm still inside Ronald." Stein explained as they were doing a brain scan on him and Ronnie.

"There has to be a better way to phrase that." Cisco said, clearly uncomfortable with the innuendo as Caitlin was observing the brainwaves on the screen.

"Beta, alpha, theta, delta. All your brainwaves are perfectly in sync." Caitlin said.

"That should be impossible." Patty shook her head.

"Impossible is just another Tuesday, remember?" Barry reminded.

"Yeah, but this is like some Twilight Zone level stuff and I say that, knowing full well that we have a guy locked up in our basement who can turn himself into poison gas." Cisco said.

"Wait, really?" Ronnie asked, disbelieving.

"Dude, that was like week three." Cisco shrugged as Barry and Patty nodded.

"Look, if this Eiling is as dangerous as you say, then I need to warn Clarissa." Stein said, taking off the headset scanning his brain as he got up.

"I promise, I can get Clarissa out of the city in time, but we need you to stay here." Barry assured him. "Professor, I need you to trust us."

Stein sighed, giving in. "Very well."

He left as Cisco followed him before Barry turned to Ronnie. "Hey. Are you OK?"

"Yeah." Ronnie nodded as he took off the headset. "Yeah, it's just not the S.T.A.R. Labs I knew."

"Ronnie, this isn't the world that you knew." Barry corrected.

"Tell me about it." Ronnie said.

* * *

**_Later, Wests' house_ **

"All right, here we are. Uh… all right." Barry let Caitlin and Ronnie in. "All right. You guys can stay down in Iris' old room, it's kind of small, but…" He stopped upon seeing Joe. "Hey."

"We have guests?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, we do. I hope that's OK." Barry said.

"Mi casa." Joe assured.

"This is Ronnie." Caitlin introduced him as Joe and Ronnie shook hands.

"Nice to meet you." Joe said before it hit him as he turned to Caitlin. "Ronnie? The…?"

"Dead fiancé." Ronnie said dryly.

"Right." Joe nodded, processing. "Beer?" He offered Ronnie a bottle of beer.

"Thanks." Ronnie picked the bottle before Iris entered.

"Dad? Barry?" Iris asked as they turned to her, as she had in her hand a bag of groceries.

"Iris, hi." Caitlin greeted.

"Hi." Iris smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Joe asked, surprised.

"Uh, it's Tuesday. I was gonna make us dinner, remember?" Iris reminded.

"Yup." Barry said.

"Yeah." Joe nodded.

"Here, I'll help you. Got it." Barry picked Iris's bag of groceries.

"I knew you'd forget." Iris chuckled. "There's plenty for everyone. Caitlin, what brings you by?"

"There is a gas leak in my apartment, so Barry said that we could stay here." Caitlin lied.

"Oh, that's sweet of him. And, uh, who's this?" Iris turned to Ronnie, wondering if he seemed familiar.

"This is, uh..." Caitlin trailed off.

"Her cousin." Barry lied.

"Sam." Caitlin said.

"Visiting from Coast City." Joe supplied.

"You look really familiar, Sam." Iris noted.

"Yeah, I have one of those faces." Ronnie stammered. "So, what's for dinner?"

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Barry stared at the photo of himself and his parents as Patty sat next to him. "Barry? If this is about showing you—"

"I deserved to know. It's fine, Patty." Barry assured.

"I know you've already had a lot on your plate but it felt wrong to keep it from you." Patty said, holding his hand.

"How did you know that the blood in the house belonged to me? You would have had to have tested it specifically." Barry said.

Patty sighed. "Cisco had it tested against everyone from S.T.A.R. Labs."

"You and Joe wanted to know if it belonged to Wells?" Barry asked.

Patty took a breath. "Barry, I know he's your mentor and your friend but frankly…"

"Patty, Dr. Wells had nothing to do with my mom's murder." Barry protested, in denial. "You believe that now?"

"I… I'm not sure." Patty admitted before Barry's phone went off.

"Yeah, Doctor Wells, what is… what?!"

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

They returned to the Cortex after Wells had told them about Eiling taking Stein.

"He didn't hurt you?" Barry asked Wells.

"Barry, I told you, only my pride is hurt. Unfortunately, I'm not in the position to take on armed soldiers." Wells said.

"Where do you think Eiling took Professor Stein?" Caitlin wondered.

"I imagine some off-the-books military research facility." Wells said.

"We have to get him back." Barry said.

"Easy. Eiling has already demonstrated he has the weaponry to disable the Flash or worse." Wells reminded.

"Well, we can't let him turn Stein into a weapon." Caitlin protested.

"How do we find him?" Ronnie asked as everyone turned to him, an idea hitting them. "What?" He asked, confused upon seeing their stares.

* * *

Ronnie was on a table as Caitlin was scanning his brainwaves.

"No abnormal brain activity. All vitals steady." Caitlin said.

"You think Ronnie can sense somehow where Eiling has the professor?" Patty asked.

"Ronnie got dizzy when soldiers grabbed Stein and Stein developed Ronnie's obsession with pizza." Cisco pointed out.

"I don't feel anything right now." Ronnie shook his head,

"Just keep trying." Caitlin pleaded.

"Whatever this is, it doesn't have a switch." Ronnie said.

"It's possible it's just some kind of residual connection." Wells said. "You know, a temporary link to your time together."

"So, this is pointless, then in this case?" Patty asked.

"Wait. I feel something." Ronnie said as he trembled. "I'm cold."

* * *

**_Elsewhere_ **

"It's freezing in here." Stein grumbled, cuffed to a gurney.

"My apologies. It should warm up pretty quick." Eiling turned down the temperature on the thermostat.

"I know what you want." Stein said. "But my research was never intended to be used as a weapon."

"I joined the military when I was 20 years old, professor." Eiling said. "My father had me convinced that our greatest threat was the Soviets, our greatest fear nuclear war. But then came terrorism. And Ebola. And now it's the age of Firestorm." Stein lifted his head, glaring as Eiling continued. "Soldiers enhanced by your project, professor. Soldiers who can generate energy blasts with their bare hands. Soldiers who can fly."

"I would gladly die before I see my life's work perverted in this way." Stein sneered.

"Good." Eiling smirked. "Because you will die, professor. How soon I let that happen though, is entirely up to you."

Two people in suits, a man and a woman, entered as Stein paled. "What's going on?"

The woman pulled out an electric baton.

"The last time I did this was to a gorilla." Eiling said as the woman shocked Stein, who screamed in pain.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Ronnie groaned, spasming before Cisco and Caitlin held him.

"You're OK, man. We got you." Cisco assured him.

"Wells, what's happening with Ronnie?" Patty demanded.

"Nothing's happening to him. It's happening to Stein, and Ronnie is feeling his pain." Wells realized. "I was wrong. Their connection is not temporary, it's only getting stronger."

Caitlin was on verge of tears as she saw her fiancé in pain. "Just try and hold on."

"Water. Water." Ronnie panted out. Cisco filled a glass with water as Ronnie drank from it before he smashed it and used the shard to cut himself in the arm.

"Ronnie, no!" Caitlin wailed.

"Wait, Cait, wait." Barry intervened.

"He's cutting himself!" Caitlin snapped.

"I know. Let him." Barry said.

Ronnie panted out as he cut " _WHERE_ " into his arm.

* * *

**_Elsewhere_ **

Stein panted out, feeling pain as he saw " _WHERE_ " carved onto his arm. Realizing Ronnie was sending him a message, he looked around before tapping the cuffs onto the bed.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Anything?" Caitlin asked.

"Nothing. Nothing, just... just cold, like a metal surface." Ronnie panted out. "Pressure on and on and off. Tap, tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap, tap, tap."

Patty snapped her fingers. "Wait, isn't that…"

"…Morse code." Wells nodded.

"I got this." Cisco picked a notepad and a pen, writing.

"Same thing again." Ronnie said. "Tap, tap. Tap. Tap, tap, tap."

"27." Cisco said.

"What does it mean?" Caitlin wondered.

"Army bases." Barry realized as Patty caught up onto his thoughts.

"Some of them have number designations, like Area 51." Patty said.

Cisco turned to the computer. "Facility 27 about 300 miles away. It was shut down in 1961."

"That's where they're keeping Stein." Barry realized.

"I'm sure that's where they're keeping the aliens too." Cisco said.

"I'm coming with you." Ronnie said, getting up.

"No, you're not, you can't." Caitlin protested.

"I'm connected to Stein. I have to go." Ronnie insisted.

"But did you ever stop to think why your connection to him is growing stronger by the minute? Maybe you're being drawn back together. Maybe your proximity will cause you to re-merge into one." Caitlin pointed out.

"And what happens to me if he gets killed?" Ronnie argued. "Cait, Barry was right. The world's different now. Look, I thought we could get away, start a new life. A normal life together but there is no normal life for us. You will always risk your life to try and help people. And I will always be the guy that runs into that pipeline for you."

Caitlin sobbed, nodding, realizing she was going to lose her fiancé again.

"The quantum splicer. It was used to separate you once. Maybe it could be of use to keep you, you." Cisco said, handing the quantum splicer to Ronnie.

"Thanks." Ronnie nodded. "OK, let's go."

"Wait." Caitlin kissed him fiercely before pulling away. "Come back. All three of you." She turned to Barry, who nodded.

"Let's go." Ronnie said as he went out with Barry.

* * *

_**Later, Facility 27** _

Barry sped Ronnie towards the army base as he looked around. "Oh. This place definitely doesn't look too shady." He said sarcastically.

"Stein's inside. I can feel our connection growing stronger like he's pulling me." Ronnie said.

"As I feared, the Firestorm matrix is building toward a proximity re-emergence. Like all matter, it yearns to be whole." Wells said as Caitlin looked worried. "If you two merge, we might not be able to separate you again."

* * *

"We isolated the Firestorm matrix in the subject's cellular structure." The scientist said as he and Eiling neared cuffed Stein.

"Excellent." Eiling said. "Professor Stein, I'm afraid you have made a terrible assumption: That I need you alive." He loaded the gun, aiming at Stein's head.

* * *

"Eiling has a gun to Stein's head. He's about to pull the trigger." Ronnie said. Barry quickly sped Stein out to safety before Eiling could shoot him.

"He's here." Eiling realized.

* * *

Barry sped Stein towards Ronnie as the latter gapped. "Whoa. I never thought I'd be happy to see you." Stein said dryly upon seeing Ronnie.

"Yeah, likewise." Ronnie nodded.

"Let's get out of here." Barry said before military vehicles drove in, with one of them firing a missile from a bazooka. Barry grabbed the missile but as it exploded, it covered Barry in some grey substance as it started to corrode his suit. Barry panicked as he turned to Stein and Ronnie. "Run!" He ordered to them both.

"OK, come on. Come on." Ronnie and Stein ran off.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"What the hell is that?" Patty demanded as the computer bleeped.

"Barry, I'm picking up some serious PH numbers on your suit." Cisco said.

* * *

**_Facility 27_ **

"They hit me with some kind of chemical!" Barry called out.

" _It's a weaponized phosphorus. Water or foam won't extinguish it._ " Cisco said.

" _But you can't burn in a vacuum. So you need to create one._ " Wells realized. " _Run, Barry. Run._ "

Barry sped around, trying to extinguish the phosphorus eating through his suit.

* * *

Ronnie and Stein kept on running from the soldiers opening fire at them as they took cover.

"We need to merge again." Ronnie said.

" _Ronnie, no!_ " Caitlin protested.

"Cait, we're dead if we don't." Ronnie argued.

" _Listen to me. The last time you two combined, you both fought it. This time, don't. Accept the change. Accept the balance. Accept each other._ " Wells advised.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friend." Stein said as Ronnie took a breath.

"Cait, whatever happens, just remember, I'll always love you." Ronnie said. He put on the quantum splicer as he and Stein merged, with Ronnie's hands going into flames.

" _Can you hear me, Ronald?_ " Stein asked, inside Ronnie's mind.

"Professor?" Ronnie called out.

" _It appears we've merged properly on this attempt. Wells was right about balance and accepting it. Behind you!_ " Stein said as Ronnie turned around and saw the soldiers in an AFV nearing him. Ronnie threw a torrent of fire as the AFV exploded and the soldiers jumped out. " _Ronald, there's more of them._ "

Ronnie flew up as more soldiers started shooting at him before he landed down as the blast knocked the soldiers away. Ronnie got up, nearing Eiling. "Eiling, this ends now."

"Yes, it does. For both of you." Eiling said as he threw into the air some device that exploded in blue light, knocking Ronnie down as his flames were extinguished instantly. "An ion grenade, just bombarded your cellular structure with enough ions to destabilize your matrix. Mr. Raymond, Professor Stein, you were both fine Americans." He pulled out his gun, aiming at Ronnie. "Your country thanks you for your sacrifice."

Suddenly, Barry sped towards him, knocking him out, his suit half-burned because of the phosphorus. "Whoa. That was a lot of running." He panted out in exhaustion before helping Ronnie on his feet. Ronnie again started to burn, ready to finish Eiling off before Barry called out. "Ronnie." Ronnie turned around to face Barry. "Home?"

"Yeah." Ronnie nodded before flying up as Barry sped off.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"I think it looks worse than it is." Barry said as Caitlin was treating his injuries.

"I'm probably never going to get used to this." Patty muttered before Ronnie entered.

"Ronnie or Stein?" Caitlin wondered.

"It's me, Caitlin." Ronnie assured.

" _Ahem. Excuse me._ " Stein cleared his throat inside Ronnie's mind.

"It's both of us. Somehow." Ronnie corrected.

" _She's quite lovely._ " Stein noted.

"Acceptance is a powerful thing." Wells noted.

"Is it powerful enough to reverse what happened to them?" Patty asked.

" _I'm game if you are, Mr. Raymond._ " Stein said.

"We could try." Ronnie said. They all stepped back as Ronnie took a breath, burning again before he and Stein separated.

"Oh. I think we're getting the hang of this quite nicely." Stein said as he and Ronnie breathed out.

Caitlin neared Ronnie, hugging him as Ronnie looked at her and Stein, realizing he was going to lose her again. "It's OK." She assured him. "I understand. You have to go."

"How'd you know?" Ronnie asked.

"I'm connected to you too." Caitlin teased as Ronnie chuckled.

* * *

_**Later, Stein residence** _

"Where will you go?" Caitlin asked Ronnie.

"Pittsburgh, maybe. Professor Stein has a colleague he thinks can help us learn more about our abilities." Ronnie said.

"We can help you here too." Caitlin offered.

"Eiling's already breached S.T.A.R. Labs. We need to stay one step ahead of him. For all of us." Ronnie pointed out as Caitlin nodded in understanding. "I'm coming back." He promised.

"We'll have pizza." Caitlin teased as she and Ronnie kissed.

"Godspeed, Mr. Allen." Stein said, nearing Barry as they shook hands.

"You too." Barry said.

"As per our earlier conversation, I believe in second chances. You'll get yours. Give it time." Stein advised as he turned to Ronnie. "Ready, Ronald?"

"Please, stop calling me that." Ronnie grumbled.

"I'll see you soon." Clarissa said, holding Stein's arm.

They went out as Ronnie put on the quantum splicer before he and Stein merged and he started to burn again. "We love you." He flew up into the sky as they stared.

* * *

_**Later, CC Jitters** _

"I had Ronnie, then I lost him. Then I found him again, but he wasn't actually Ronnie. Then I got him back, but just for a day until I lost him again." Caitlin grumbled.

"You guys are, like, 10 seasons of Ross and Rachel but just, like, smushed into one year." Cisco noted.

"I am not heartbroken this time." Caitlin assured. "I love Ronnie. I always will. But there's not this devastating hole inside me. I have a life and it's a good one."

* * *

_**Central City** _

Barry let Joe and Patty into Barry's childhood home as he looked around. "Hey."

"Is there a reason you called us here?" Patty asked.

"I don't know how and I don't know when but one day soon, I'm gonna be in this house again 15 years ago and I'm gonna fail, unless this time I don't." Barry said, entering the living room where his mother was murdered.

"What are you saying?" Joe asked.

"Knowing that I'm supposed to lose gives me the advantage." Barry said, turning to the holographic images. "Those images are a lesson in what not to do."

Patty stared. "Wait, you're saying that—"

"When I face off against the man in yellow, I won't make the same mistake twice." Barry said.

"Change the past?" Patty asked, her and Joe raising brows.

"Guys… I'm gonna save my mom." Barry said.

* * *

**_Elsewhere_ **

Eiling was in his office, pouring himself a drink before lights flickered, much to his surprise. Suddenly, a red bolt of lightning grabbed him as he disappeared before he ended up in sewers underneath Central City, with "GRODD" carved on the walls.

"What...? What the hell was that?" Eiling demanded as he faced the Reverse-Flash.

"It's good to see you again, general." The Reverse-Flash said.

"Who are you?" Eiling demanded.

"Who am I?" The Reverse-Flash put down his mask to reveal the face of Harrison Wells.

"Harrison." Eiling stared in disbelief. "You're one of them. Metahuman."

"Yes, I am." Wells nodded. "And I protect my own."

They heard a roar echoing as Eiling paled. "Who is that?"

"Now, that... is an old friend of ours." Wells said.

" _General._ " A voice echoed as Eiling looked puzzled.

"That voice. It's in my head." Eiling said before seeing a giant gorilla nearing him as his face was getting paler. "Dear God…"

" _Not God. Grodd._ "

The gorilla grabbed Eiling by his leg, dragging him away as Eiling screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I think the next chapter should get VERY interesting, considering Patty is involved here.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	16. Old scores to settle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Weather Wizard emerges as Patty has an old score to settle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"How the hell did you do that?" Iris demanded as Patty managed a strike as they were playing bowling.

"Guess I got a good swing." Patty chuckled.

"Just wait, I'm gonna crush you." Iris challenged as she picked her ball. She threw it and managed to take down just few pins but as she threw another ball, she scored a spare as Iris cheered.

"Oh, nice!" Eddie praised before his and Patty's phones went off. "Patty, we gotta go. Emergency at the morgue."

"Bye." Iris said.

"See you at home." Eddie said. "Patty, Barry, come on."

Barry and Patty picked their jackets as they followed Eddie out.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Patty sped through the city but to his surprise, he saw himself right next to him as he stopped in the middle of a plaza, looking around to see a dog barking and a woman calling a taxi cab before he ran into the morgue.

" _What's going on? What do you see?_ " Cisco asked.

"A dead body." Barry said.

" _Barry, you're in a morgue. You're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that._ " Cisco said.

"The coroner. He's dead." Barry said as he saw the dead coroner on the floor and pieces of ice melting.

* * *

The police was making the morgue a crime scene as the forensics were taking photos and examining evidence.

"Mayor's made this high priority." Singh said.

"Copy that, captain." Joe said.

Singh paced down before he bumped into Barry, who just entered, spilling his coffee on his coat and Barry's jacket. "Allen. My fiancé just bought me this."

"Yeah. I'm so sorry, Captain—"

"Just help Joe and Patty find out who did this." Singh snapped at Barry.

Barry nodded as Patty chuckled and shook her head, while Joe looked around. "What's with all the water? Did the sprinkler system go off or something?"

"No, I checked all the sprinklers. They're all intact." Barry said.

"And it's not pipe leak either." Patty added.

"But look at this." Barry knelt towards the dead coroner and picked a piece of ice with pliers.

"What is that, ice?" Joe inquired.

"Yeah." Patty nodded.

"The coroner has multiple impact bruises on his torso, all the size of a tennis ball." Barry said.

"And considering how much of the ice and water is around here, it seems he was killed by hail." Patty deduced.

"Hail. In here?" Joe asked, skeptical.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"You think this was Snart?" Joe wondered.

"No, his cold gun couldn't have done this." Barry shook his head.

"Joe, Patty, we got something." Eddie entered with a recorder. "The coroner's office just installed an automated dictation system. Listen to this."

He turned on the recorder as they listened to the coroner's frightened voice. " _Please. No more._ "

" _I'll stop when you tell me._ " The other man said as Joe and Patty recognized the voice.

" _Stop._ "

" _Who killed him?_ "

"Oh, my God…" Patty paled.

"I know that voice. That's Mardon." Joe said.

" _I want a name._ " Mardon said.

"Clyde Mardon's dead." Eddie protested.

"No, not him." Patty shook her head. "It's Mark Mardon. His brother."

" _It was Detective Spivot. She shot him. Detective Patty Spivot killed your brother._ " The coroner said.

" _And she will pay for what she did._ " Mardon said.

" _No._ " The coroner begged before they heard what seemed to be a blizzard as the coroner screamed in pain.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"So Clyde Mardon has a brother?" Caitlin asked as they saw the profiles on the screen.

"And both brothers survived the plane crash and then the dark matter released from the particle accelerator explosion affects them both in virtually the same way." Wells said.

"Yeah, only Mark's powers seem to be a lot more precise." Barry said. "To be able to control the weather like that indoors..."

"…you'd have to be a Weather Wizard. Ooh." Cisco quipped. "Been waiting since week one to use that one. Mm!" He took a sip from his drink before groaning.

"Trigeminal headache?" Caitlin asked.

"What?" Cisco asked, confused.

"Trigeminal headache. Brain freeze." Caitlin said.

"Then why didn't you just call it 'brain freeze'?" Cisco snapped.

"So it's too much to hope that running around a tornado in the opposite direction is going to work this time?" Patty asked, as they noticed how bitter her tone was.

"I just remembered, during our run-in with Mardon, Clyde Mardon, I was tinkering with something to help attract unbound atmospheric electrons." Cisco said.

"Like a grounding mechanism?" Barry asked.

"Yes." Cisco nodded. "Because the only way Mardon can control the weather is if he can tap into the atmosphere's natural electrical circuit."

"Take away that circuit, no more lightning and skies are clear." Patty said. "Good. It'll make putting him down much easier."

"Patty, no." Joe intervened as he and Barry turned to her.

"Whatever happens, you need to keep a clear head." Barry cautioned, leaving Cisco, Caitlin and Wells confused.

"You seem a little more angry than usual. What's going on, Patty?" Caitlin asked.

"It's nothing. I just want to stop him as soon as possible before more innocent people get hurt." Patty said, dodging the subject.

"Patty, they deserve to know and frankly, you need to take it easy." Barry said.

"Someone care to fill us in?" Cisco asked.

"I think you're a little more invested in this case than in others. What's going on, Patty?" Wells asked, folding his arms.

"If you don't tell them, we will." Joe warned as Patty sighed, clearly uncomfortable as she took a breath.

"Mark Mardon killed my Dad." Patty said as they all felt sympathetic towards her.

"Patty…" Cisco trailed off.

"I'm so sorry." Caitlin said, holding her shoulder, remembering Patty being sad the other night and remembering her father. "Mardon's the one, who mugged your Dad?"

"Hey. We're going to take him down. I promise." Barry assured her before Joe's and Patty's phones went off.

"Singh's checking in." Joe said.

"We gotta go." Patty said as they picked their coats.

"Yeah, I'll meet you at the station." Barry said.

"We'll find Mardon. Don't worry." Wells assured. "Joe, Patty, be careful."

"It's not us you should worry about." Patty said as Barry looked at her, concerned.

"She's not thinking clearly." Barry sighed as Wells nodded.

"Well, Detective Spivot has an axe to grind and Joe's taking being targeted by a revenge-seeking metahuman rather well, I must say." Wells said before seeing how worried Barry was. "Don't worry, Barry. Patty and Joe will be fine. I promise."

"Yeah. No, I know. I actually wanted to talk to you about something else." Barry said, rubbing his head as Wells nodded. "Um, look, last night, on my way to the morgue, I saw something."

"What did you see?" Wells asked.

"I was running and I turned and I saw myself. Or, I don't know, another Flash. Running beside me." Barry said as Wells turned to him, intrigued.

"Interesting." Wells mused.

"Yeah. What do you think it was?" Barry asked.

"Could be an illusion, a mirroring effect caused by wind shear and light. A speed mirage, if you will." Wells said.

"It didn't seem like that." Barry shook his head. "It was... he seemed real."

"I'll tell you what, let's focus on finding Mardon and once he's safely contained in the Pipeline, we'll investigate this." Wells said as Barry nodded.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

"Where are we at with Mardon?" Singh asked, putting on his coat.

"No one at the morgue saw anything." Eddie said.

"We're canvassing known associates, seeing if he reached out to anybody." Joe said. "Maybe we can get a lead on where he is."

"Why don't we let Thawne do that?" Singh said.

"Captain, Joe and I know the Mardon brothers better than anyone on the force." Patty protested. "I've researched them for years and Chyre and Joe spent a long time hunting them down. I know how they think."

"Which is why Joe should coordinate the investigation from here and you need to keep your distance from this case, Patty." Singh ordered as Patty pouted.

"Captain—"

"Patty, I understand you want to take him down because of what he did to your father but your personal connection to this case is why I need you to stay back." Singh said.

Patty glared before she went out.

"Patty…" Eddie held her by her shoulder. "Look, I get that you want to take this guy down but considering what he's capable of, I think it might be best if you stay back. All I'm saying is that you need to be careful."

"He's right." Barry said as Patty sighed.

"You can't ask me to sit on my butt and do nothing, while he—"

"We'll find a way to stop him but you heard Singh." Joe said before he spotted Iris as they turned to her. "As far as she's concerned, she doesn't hear about any of this." He said and they nodded as Iris entered. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hey, Dad." Iris hugged him as she looked at Joe, Patty and Barry, while Eddie left. "So, what are you guys working on? You got any good leads for an honest reporter?"

"Uh, things are actually pretty quiet around here right now." Barry lied as Iris turned to Patty.

"Are you OK, Patty? You seem a bit… mad." Iris said.

"It's nothing. Really." Patty lied.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

"Barry, when you faced Clyde, he was able to control wind and you beat him by running around, right?" Patty asked and he nodded, while she was driving down the road. "Any suggestions on how to stop a guy controlling clouds?"

"Patty, if we find Mardon, are you going to kill him?" Barry asked and Patty was silent. "You're better than this."

"He's a metahuman with powers and it's not the first one that we had to put down." Patty snapped.

"You're not a murderer, Patty." Barry pleaded. "You're a good person. And taking a life, it's going to change you, forever. And you're going to second-guess every decision you make after that."

Patty stared before sighing. "I just can't live knowing he's alive and breathing, even if we lock him up. I just don't see how can I find comfort in that. How am I supposed to be fine with him alive, even if he's in a cell, knowing he killed my Dad?"

"If you're looking for an easy answer, I don't think there is one." Barry said as it started to rain and Patty turned on the windshield wipers. "Look, Patty, I just… I don't want to see you do something you're going to regret for the rest of your life."

"It's coming down today, huh?" Patty noted about the rain before she turned on the radio.

" _It's another beautiful day here in Central City. Not a cloud..._ "

Patty stopped the car as it hit her and Barry. "Mardon."

Barry nodded and they turned around to see Mardon in his car before from above struck down lightning and Barry managed to get Patty out just in time as the lightning blew up her car as they stared.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"You're confined to the precinct until Mardon's caught." Singh ordered as Patty and Barry returned to the precinct.

"Captain, he killed my father and Chyre." Patty protested.

"And I'm not gonna lose you the way I lost Fred Chyre." Singh said. "Look, I can't stop you from being pissed, Patty. But I can keep you safe." He waved towards Joe as he neared them. "Joe, Allen, make sure she doesn't go anywhere."

"Like hell if I'm going to just sit here and wait." Patty snapped as she was about to walk off.

"Patty, you're not thinking straight." Joe warned.

"Joe and I took down Clyde. We can take down his good-for-nothing brother too." Patty snapped.

"Not, if it means you get yourself killed." Barry said.

"Look, Barry, make sure S.T.A.R. Labs figures out a way to stop Mardon, fast." Joe ordered as they noticed how on edge Patty was.

"Just don't do anything stupid and reckless. Please." Barry insisted and after a moment Patty nodded before Barry's phone went off and he answered the call. "Yeah, Iris?"

* * *

_**Later, CC Jitters** _

"So, it sounded like something was bothering you on the phone. Is everything all right?" Barry asked Iris.

"Yeah, it's fine." Iris assured. "So the other night was fun, right?"

"Yeah. Eddie have a good time?" Barry asked.

"Yeah. Patty?" Iris asked.

"Sure." Barry nodded, taking a sip from his mug. "So, why did you call me here?"

"So the reason that I called you was because my sort-of-advisor at the paper is always teaching me lessons, tricks of the trade, how to get a good story." Iris said as they sat down. "And one of the things he's repeatedly telling me is to follow your hunch. See where it leads."

"Sounds like good advice." Barry nodded.

"Yeah, it is." Iris said before looking concerned. "Except, in this instance, that hunch involves you."

"Uh... Well, you can ask me anything, Iris." Barry said as she took a breath.

"It's about Harrison Wells." Iris explained, much to Barry's surprise.

"What about him?"

"I mean, a lot of strange things have been happening in Central City this past year. The Flash. The Burning Man. People going missing." She showed Barry a photo of Wells in Simon Stagg's office. "He was there at Stagg's office the night that Stagg went missing."

"And you think that Dr. Wells is what, responsible?" Barry inquired, uncertain.

"I mean, I don't really know him. But you and your friends do." Iris pointed out and Barry nodded. "Barry, in your heart of hearts, do you think it's possible there's more to Harrison than people have been led to believe?"

"Harrison Wells is a good man. If you're looking for a story, then you're not gonna find one with him." Barry said firmly.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R Labs_ **

Cisco showed Barry, Caitlin and Wells a metallic stick he had built. "I call it the Wizard's Wand."

"Subtle. How does it work?" Caitlin asked.

"Just think of it like an active lightning rod. Just point it at the sky and it'll suck up whatever energy's floating around it like a sponge." Cisco explained.

"And it'll stop Mardon?" Barry questioned.

"It'll certainly slow him down. If there's no atmospheric electrons available to him, there's no way to control the weather." Wells said. "Good work, Cisco. As always." Barry was handing Cisco back the wand as Wells drove away. "Excuse me. I'm gonna go stretch my legs."

Caitlin noticed how apprehensively was Barry eying Wells. "You OK? You seem a little off."

"Yeah, uh, somebody at Picture News got it into Iris' head..." Barry glanced at the exit towards which Wells had gone. "...that something suspicious is going on with Dr. Wells."

"Like what?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"That he knows what happened to Simon Stagg. Apparently, nobody has heard from him or seen him since the night I stopped Danton Black." Barry explained.

"What did you tell her?" Cisco asked

"That she's wrong. And she is." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Cisco put the wand on a desk as he showed it to Patty and Joe.

"Keep this handy. It'll protect you from Mardon's powers." Cisco said.

"Just wave it at him and no more tornados or blizzards, that's it?" Patty asked.

"Yeah." Cisco nodded before changing the subject. "Hey, Joe. Um, I know you got a lot going on right now but you mentioned Dr. Wells might've had something to do with Barry's mother's murder. Why did you think that?"

"Doesn't matter. I was wrong." Joe said.

"But you seemed really sure of it." Cisco argued.

"Cisco, can we talk about this later, please?" Patty asked as she and Joe left.

Cisco sighed and entered the elevator before noticing that Mark Mardon had gone out as he dialed Barry's number.

"I heard you were looking for me." Mardon said as Patty and Joe stared. "Here I am."

"Mardon." Joe said dryly.

"Detective Joe West." Mardon smiled before turning to Patty. "And you must be Patty. I can call you Patty, can't I? Figured we don't gotta be too formal, seeing as you put two bullets in my brother's chest."

Patty glared. "Must suck, when someone puts a bullet into someone from your family that you care about, right? Now you know how I feel."

"Have I done something to you?" Mardon raised his brows.

"Patty, easy." Joe cautioned, raising his hand as Patty was inching for her gun.

"I don't expect you to remember. You mugged and killed my father for a couple of dollars four years ago." Patty sneered.

"I see." Mardon smirked. "Yeah, Clyde and I were no saints, but he was family. And if you can't protect your family, the least you can do is avenge them. Come on. Do it. Take a shot." He taunted.

Patty pulled out her gun, aiming at him.

"Patty, no!" Joe ordered as Patty was inching to pull the trigger, glaring. "Listen, Mardon, nobody needs to get hurt."

"But they are gonna get hurt." Mardon said.

Joe reached for the wand but Mardon threw him and Patty back as he summoned the wind by raising his hand.

"Joe! Patty!" Eddie cried out.

"I'm not gonna be so easy to put down." Mardon gloated.

"Take him down!" Eddie ordered as he, Singh and other policemen drew their guns.

"No, run!" Joe ordered as Mardon summoned a gust of wind, smashing windows and blowing papers away.

Mardon then summoned lightning, about to strike Patty down before Singh tackled her out of the way, getting hit by the lightning. The Flash suddenly sped in with the wand as it absorbed the storm Mardon was summoning, forcing him to run.

"Captain! David." Joe cried out as he, Eddie and Patty neared Singh's unconscious form before the Flash sped him to the hospital.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"All right, Cisco, I'm heading home." Caitlin said, putting on her coat but Cisco seemed to be too focused on his work. "Cisco? All right, fine, I will watch every episode of 'The Walking Dead' with you." She held his shoulder. "Hey. You couldn't have stopped Mardon from attacking the police station. It's not your fault."

"No, that's not it." Cisco shook his head. "What do you think of Dr. Wells?"

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"I mean, do you think he's capable of doing something bad?" Cisco asked.

"Is this because of what Barry said he heard? Ever since the accelerator exploded, there's always someone who's got it in for Dr. Wells." Caitlin argued.

"No, no, it's more than that." Cisco said, returning to the Cortex as he sat at the computer. "Joe said that maybe Dr. Wells was somehow involved in Barry's mother's death. In her murder."

"That's absurd." Caitlin protested.

"Yeah, I know." Cisco nodded. "And that's what I said. And we proved that that wasn't the case, but... I'm just saying, some things aren't adding up."

"Like what, for example?" Caitlin asked.

"Come here. Look at this." Cisco showed Caitlin the readings on the computer. "The night that we trapped the Reverse-Flash in the force field, he escaped because the containment system failed but I checked that data three times and the super-capacitors were still fully charged when he got out. The numbers don't add up, Caitlin. There's no reason that the containment system should have failed."

"I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation." Caitlin said.

"One perfectly good explanation is that Wells did something to the trap." Cisco said.

"Are you suggesting that Dr. Wells is in league with the man in the yellow suit? I mean, we all saw that thing nearly kill him that night." Caitlin pointed out.

"Yeah. Nearly." Cisco argued.

Caitlin sighed. "Cisco, what you're saying doesn't make any sense. That's crazy."

Cisco got up, nearing Caitlin with an imploring look. "Can you keep Wells out of S.T.A.R. Labs tomorrow morning?"

Caitlin took a breath before she gave in.

* * *

**_Later, Central City General_ **

Barry handed Singh's fiancé Rob a cup of coffee as they were outside Singh's room. "Thank you, Barry." Rob said.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"This isn't how I thought I'd finally meet David's coworkers." Rob said, smiling nervously "He speaks very highly of you."

"Really?" Barry asked.

"David's all bark. A very loud bark. Heh." Rob assured before a doctor went out.

"How is he, doctor?" Joe asked.

"We're stabilizing him. He's experiencing some paralysis in his lower extremities." The doctor said.

"Oh, my God." Joe whispered.

"The hardest thing to gauge right now is the extent of his neurocognitive deficits. So he may not be the same person you remember." The doctor said.

"Can I see him?" Rob asked.

"I am sorry. Visitation's for family only." The doctor shook her head.

"Being his fiancé makes him family, doctor." Joe said as the doctor nodded.

"Ah. Sure." She let Rob into Singh's room.

"Is he going to be able to go back into the force?" Patty asked.

"I'm actually not sure he'll be able to walk again." The doctor said as Barry, Joe and Patty looked sad before Patty walked off.

"Patty, no. Mardon said he was going to avenge his brother. That goes beyond you." Joe said.

"He's after me. How many people are going to get caught in the crossfire in the meantime?" Patty snapped.

"That doesn't mean you can take him on alone." Barry said. "Look at what he did to Singh What if he does worse to you?"

"Barry, make sure Patty doesn't leave your side." Joe ordered.

* * *

_**Later, CCPN** _

"Barry, you of all people should understand how I feel." Patty said.

"I know. I understand how you feel, believe me." Barry gave her an understanding look. "But the difference is that you don't have powers." He turned to one of the reporters. "Hey, have you seen Iris West?"

"She went to see her dad." Mason Bridge said, approaching Barry. "You're Barry Allen, right?"

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"Her friend/brother. Or is that brother/friend?" Mason asked as he shook his hand.

"Friend is fine." Barry said.

"And you're…" Mason turned to Patty.

"Detective Patty Spivot." Patty said. "You're the one, that claims that Harrison Wells is a crazy genius or something like that?"

"Oh, no, no, no. I never said he was crazy. He's a sociopath and a liar, for sure." Mason said before noticing Barry's and Patty's skeptical looks. "Really? You don't see it? All the time you two spend together?"

"Excuse me?" Barry blinked.

"Sometimes when I'm bored, I follow him around." Mason said.

"You do know that stalking can lead to a restraining order, do you?" Patty said.

"For the most part, he keeps to himself, except when he's meeting with you, which he does a lot." Mason continued, as if Patty had not interrupted him, while they followed him. "And then, one time, he met up with Simon Stagg. And then, poof, no more Simon Stagg."

"So you're saying Wells knows where Stagg is?" Barry questioned.

"No, I'm saying Wells killed him." Mason said.

"Aha." Barry and Patty nodded.

"First of all, that is a serious accusation. Second of all, Harrison Wells is on a wheelchair. How could he have killed a man and get away with it?" Patty argued.

"I have evidence in a secure digital file that will explain everything." Mason said.

"What evidence?" Barry wondered, him and Patty intrigued.

"Well, you'll just have to read about it in the Sunday paper, like everybody else." Mason said, leaving Barry and Patty confused.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Cisco was making adjustments to the trap, trying to see what had gone wrong with it but to his surprise, it was working perfectly.

"What? I don't understand." Cisco said, puzzled. He tried to check the calibrations before much to his surprise, he saw the Reverse-Flash inside the trap.

* * *

_**Central City** _

"What did he mean by that?" Barry wondered.

"I'm not sure." Patty admitted as they went down the alley before facing Mardon as they paled.

"Hello, Patty. It's nice to see you again." Mardon smirked.

Patty pulled out her gun but Mardon blew her up onto the rooftop with wind before blowing Barry away as Mardon flew up and Patty groaned.

"Patty!" Barry exclaimed as he tried to follow them but Mardon had managed to fly away with Patty. "No!"

* * *

As Patty came to, she was cuffed and had a broken leg as she glared at Mardon.

"Small miracle you only broke the one leg, Patty." Mardon said. "The night I got sucked out of my plane, I broke almost every bone in my body." He put his hand on Patty's leg as she groaned in pain. "That was excruciating. At least you got a small taste of what that felt like. Still, I guess you'll never know what it really feels like to be God."

"Funny, your brother told me the same thing. Right before I shot him." Patty sneered.

Mardon glared before punching Patty. "I don't need these powers to end your life."

"All it takes is a gun. Just like, when you mugged my father for a couple of hundreds of dollars." Patty sneered. "What was so important my father had to lose his life?"

Mardon chuckled as he knelt down. "So, eye for an eye, huh? You've taken the one person that was most dear to me. Who do you care about, I wonder? That pretty guy who was with you?" He picked Patty's phone before finding Barry's number.

* * *

**_CC Jitters_ **

"I often forget how important it is to step away from my ever-present routine. Thank you." Wells said, taking coffee with Caitlin. "This morning has been a refreshing change of pace."

"You can have more than two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, Dr. Wells." Caitlin promised.

"What can I say? I guess I'm a creature of habit." Wells shrugged. "Sorry, I believe these were to go."

"Actually, I thought we could sit here and enjoy them." Caitlin said, trying to stall him.

Wells considered for a moment. "Why not?"

* * *

_**CCPD** _

"You all know what's Mardon capable of. But don't forget, he's not invincible. He's still a man. At best, a criminal." Joe said.

"We're going to find Patty, Barry. I promise." Eddie assured him.

"Do you think she's going to be OK?" Iris asked.

"I need to hope." Barry breathed out as he walked out and his phone went off. "Hello?"

" _Mr. Allen. I assume it's you. That pretty boy who was with Patty earlier today._ " Mardon said.

Barry's blood boiled. "I swear, if she dies—"

" _She's a little broken, but still alive._ " Mardon said. " _If you want her to stay that way, come to the waterfront, south side. Oh, and, Barry. You tell Joe or anyone else from the police, Patty's dead._ "

Barry hung up as he panted out.

"Barry, what is it?" Joe asked.

"It's Mardon." Barry said. "He's got Patty. He wants me at the waterfront, alone or he's going to kill her."

"I'm coming with you." Joe said.

"He said—"

"Like hell if I let you come alone!" Joe snapped.

* * *

_**CC Jitters** _

"You know, Dr. Wells, I just… I wanna thank you again for all that you've done for Ronnie." Caitlin said.

"One thank-you will suffice, I'm sure." Wells smiled, putting down his glasses. "You know, Caitlin, if Cisco were to adjust the radial velocity parameters of the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite, we might be able to better detect the vortex of a storm. If we could detect those air updrafts, no matter where they originate, no matter how small…" He put the glasses back on. "...we might be able to locate Mark Mardon."

"That's a great idea." Caitlin smiled.

"So why don't we go to S.T.A.R. Labs and alert Cisco?" Wells said.

"Let me just get these to go." Caitlin picked the mugs and approached the counter. "Hi. Could I get these in to-go cups?"

"Sure, just a second." The waiter said. As Caitlin turned around, much to her shock, Wells had disappeared from his wheelchair.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

" _My goals are beyond your understanding._ " The Reverse-Flash said, repeating the same words he said the night they caught him as Cisco typed away, wondering what was going on. " _Dr. Wells, we meet at last. My goals are beyond your understanding._ "

"I can't believe this." Cisco neared the containment field, realizing it was a holographic recording.

" _Oh, I'm not like the Flash at all._ " The Reverse-Flash said.

"Some would say I'm the reverse." Wells said as Cisco turned around, shocked to see him on his feet.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Your boyfriend is here accepted my invitation, Patty, that's good." Mardon said as he observed Barry with his goggles, while Patty had goggles in her hand too. "Front-row seats to watch everyone and everything you ever loved destroyed." He neared Patty, who had tears in her eyes.

"Don't do this, please. They're innocent people." Patty begged.

"You're no innocent, girl. You killed my brother." Mardon sneered.

"And you murdered my father." Patty glared.

"You think this makes us even?" Mardon snorted before putting a tape on Patty's mouth. "Far from it. You've taken away everything from me. I'm gonna take away everything from you." He got up, summoning storm as Patty stared desperately.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"You're incredibly clever, Cisco. I've always said so." Wells said.

"You're him. The Reverse-Flash." Cisco realized, staring at Wells in betrayal.

"You and I have never been truly properly introduced. I am Eobard Thawne." He said.

"Thawne… like Eddie." Cisco noted as Thawne smirked.

"Let's call him a distant relative." Thawne said.

"The night that we trapped the Reverse-Flash..." Cisco pointed at the trap. "...you almost died." Thawne nodded and smirked. "There were two of you." He realized.

Thawne wagged his finger and seemed to vibrate before there were suddenly two of him in the room.

"It's an afterimage. A speed mirage, if you will." Thawne said as the second Thawne faded.

Cisco seemed to have a small panic attack, putting his hands on either side of his face and breathed heavily. "Joe was right." He said, recovering as he lowered his hands and turned to look at Thawne. "You were there that night, fifteen years ago, in Barry's house. You killed Nora Allen."

"It was never my intention to kill Nora. I was there to kill Barry." Thawne revealed.

"But why? You're his friend, you've been teaching him how to…"

"Go faster." Thawne interrupted Cisco, pacing around him, while Cisco was filled with shock and betrayal and disbelief. "I know. A means to an end. And I'll tell you why: Because I have been stuck here, marooned here in this place for fifteen long years. And the Flash and the Flash's speed is the key to my returning to my world. To my time. And no one is going to prevent that from happening." He said as he turned to Cisco.

"I can help you." Cisco said, trying to plead for his life.

"You're smart, Cisco." Thawne said as he raised his hand, which began to vibrate as Cisco seemed to be on breakdown. "But you're not that smart. Do you know how hard it has been to keep all this from you, especially from you?" He neared Cisco, whose eyes were getting wet. "Because the truth is, I've grown quite fond of you. And in many ways, you have shown me what it is like to have a son."

Cisco was crying as Thawne stared at him before Thawne plunged a hand through his chest.

"Forgive me. But to me, you've been dead for centuries." Thawne said before he pulled away and Cisco fell down on the floor, dead as Thawne walked away.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry rushed towards the waterfront with Joe.

"How are we gonna find him?" Joe demanded.

"I think he's gonna find us." Barry said.

"Barry…" Joe pointed at the sea as the tide was beginning to rise.

"Joe, get out of here, get out of here, now!" Barry ordered as Joe ran away before Barry dialed Caitlin's number. "Caitlin."

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"Barry, I need to talk to you. It's Dr. Wells. He's..."

" _Wait, wait, wait, there's no time for that right now, all right?_ " Barry interrupted Caitlin as she entered the Cortex. " _There is a tsunami heading for the city._ _How do I stop it?_ "

"Theoretically, if you can create a vortex barrier along the coastline, a wall of wind, that would be able to sap the tidal wave of its energy before it hits the city." Caitlin said.

" _By running back and forth. How fast?_ " Barry asked.

"I don't know if you can run that fast." Caitlin said.

* * *

_**Central City** _

Barry put on his suit and started to run from one end of the coast to the other and back, trying to create a wall of wind to stop the tsunami, running faster than he ever has as Patty stared, while Mardon roared, trying to bury the city under the tsunami wave.

Barry screamed before suddenly, he was in the middle of Central City in the middle of the night as he stopped, ending up at the plaza he was last night, heading towards the coroner's office, noticing he was reliving the same day as he saw a dog barking and a woman calling for a taxi.

"Oh, boy." Barry groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I did fine with the changes in 1x15, hope you liked it.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	17. Golden Glider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Barry realizes he had time-travelled and tries to change the past, an old enemy returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry stared in confusion, wondering why was everything happening the same way it had before Cisco called out. "Hey, what's going on? Dude."

"Huh? Yeah. Cisco, I'm here." Barry said.

"What happened? Why'd you stop?" Cisco asked.

"I just got a little disoriented." Barry stammered.

"You need to make up some time, man. You'd better hurry up." Cisco said.

"Hurry? What are...?"

"Hurry, as in, get to the morgue." Cisco reminded, now confused.

"The morgue? I was there. Yesterday." Barry said, puzzled.

"What are you talking about? Come on, you gotta go." Cisco ordered as Barry sped to the morgue.

* * *

Barry entered the morgue and to his surprise, everything was happening exactly the same way it did the first time he entered the previous day, with the CSIs and detectives making the place a crime scene, with the coroner dead.

"Hey, Barr, what's with all the water? Did the sprinkler system go off or something?" Joe asked.

It took a moment for Barry to realize what was going on. "What? No, I checked the sprinklers. They're all intact."

"And it's not pipe leak either." Patty added.

"But the water has ice in it." Barry said before they neared the coroner's corpse. "And the bruises on the coroner aren't just on his face. Check. Look at his torso."

Joe lifted the coroner's shirt to see bruises on his torso. "Whoa."

"How did you know that?" Patty asked.

"He was killed by hail." Barry said. "We have to listen to the recording."

"Recording?" Joe asked, puzzled.

"Joe, Patty, we got something." Eddie entered with a recorder. "The coroner's office just installed an automated dictation system. Listen to this."

He turned on the recorder as they listened to the coroner's frightened voice, while Barry wiped his face. " _Please. No more._ "

" _I'll stop when you tell me._ " The other man said as Joe and Patty recognized the voice.

" _Stop._ "

" _Who killed him?_ "

"Oh, my God…" Patty paled.

"That's Mark Mardon." Barry said as she and Joe turned to him in surprise. "He wants revenge."

Again, he heard the coroner beg before he screamed in pain.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Clyde Mardon has a brother?" Caitlin asked as they saw the profiles on the screen.

"So, both brothers survived the plane crash and then the dark matter released from the particle accelerator explosion affects them both in virtually the same way." Wells said.

"Virtually the same way." Barry said, repeating Wells's words as Wells turned to him in surprise.

"That's right." Wells said, a bit surprised.

"Only Mark's not like Clyde at all." Barry added. "He can do things that you couldn't even imagine."

Cisco chuckled. "You mean he's sort of like a Weather Wizard?"

"Weather Wizard?" Barry repeated, much to everyone's surprise.

"Yeah." Cisco said as he took a sip from his drink before groaning as Barry remembered what happened next.

"Trigeminal headache?" Caitlin asked.

"Trigeminal headache?" Barry said at the same time as Caitlin, Joe and Patty stared at him before Wells narrowed his eyes.

"Mr. Allen. A word, please." Wells said.

"Yeah." Barry said, following Wells into the treadmill room.

"You ruptured the time continuum, didn't you? You're experiencing temporal reversion." Wells realized as Barry closed the door behind him.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"How long?" Wells asked.

"A… a day and some change. It's like I'm living it all over again." Barry said.

"Yeah, that's good. That means there's not too much you could've messed up yet." Wells nodded. "How did this happen?"

"Uh, I don't know. I mean, I was running faster than I've ever ran. And… and the first time I lived this day, some horrible things happened. There was a tidal wave and—"

"No. Do not tell me." Wells interrupted Barry. "I do not wanna know anything about the future you experienced. Nothing."

"OK, but, Dr. Wells—"

"Barry, time is an extremely fragile construct." Wells cautioned. "Any deviation, no matter how small, could result in a cataclysm. Here's what you're going to do." Barry sat down, rubbing his face. "Everything you did before, every word you uttered, every step you took, you're going to do again. And you're not going to tell anyone this happened."

Barry sighed.

* * *

Wells entered the Time Vault as he turned on Gideon.

" _Good day, Dr. Wells._ "

Wells sighed. "Time will tell, Gideon. Show me the future."

" _As you wish._ " Gideon showed him the newspapers about the Flash vanishing in Crisis with the byline name changing from "Iris West-Allen" to "Julie Greer" and back. " _The future remains in flux, Dr. Wells._ "

"If anything changes, alert me immediately." Wells said.

" _Of course, doctor._ " Gideon said.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

Barry saw Singh arguing with Joe, Eddie and Patty in his office as he remembered what had happened to Singh the first time around before Joe, Eddie and Patty went out.

"Barry, back in that morgue, you knew exactly what we needed to look for. How?" Patty asked.

"Lucky guesses, I guess." Barry shrugged.

"Just as much as it was back in S.T.A.R. Labs?" Patty questioned.

Barry shrugged and Patty was about to ask more before Joe intervened. "Look, Mardon's dangerous and you need to stay put, Patty."

"Joe—"

"Patty, Singh's orders." Joe intervened.

Barry was about to open his mouth, trying to warn Patty about Mardon before remembering what had happened with him attacking her. "Patty… I gotta run an errand. I'll see you later, all right?"

"OK…" Patty trailed off as Barry left.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

The Flash sped into the apartment complex in which Mardon was hiding before he found him in his apartment as Mardon got up from his bed. "I didn't know there was anyone else like me."

The Flash's eyes were pulsing with lightning before he grabbed Mardon and sped off.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Mardon was locked up in a cell in the Pipeline as he glared at the Flash, Cisco and Caitlin.

"I'm gonna break out and I'm gonna create a tidal wave that destroys your entire city!" Mardon yelled before the door to the Pipeline closed.

"So, I still don't understand. How did you find him?" Cisco wondered.

"Uh, I just had a hunch." Barry shrugged.

"That's gotta be some kind of record." Caitlin noted.

Cisco laughed. "Yeah." He turned around, about to leave. "Well, there goes my excuse for bailing on my brother's birthday." He left with Caitlin as Wells glared at Barry.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Wells demanded.

"Yeah, I do. I just saved a lot of lives." Barry said.

"I warned you not to mess with the timeline." Wells reminded.

"Dr. Wells, if you would let me tell you what was going to happen, you'd understand why I did this." Barry said.

"Whatever tragedy you think you've just averted, time will find a way to replace it and trust me, Barry, the next one could be much worse." Wells said grimly.

* * *

Later, Barry was running on the treadmill but nothing was happening as he panted out.

"I don't get it. I've been running just as fast as I was when it happened and nothing. I'm still here." Barry said as he stopped and sat down.

"Any number of things could've triggered the wormhole that allowed you to repeat your day." Wells said. "Your emotions, circumstances, cortisol levels, all of the above."

"I mean, my adrenaline was super high since Patty and the entire city—"

"No, no, no, no details, I told you." Wells interrupted Barry before he could explain.

Barry sighed as he got up. "I'm sorry, but Mark Mardon's already locked in the Pipeline and nothing bad has happened."

Patty then entered and knocked on the door. "Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all, Patty." Wells said.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Barry asked.

"When were you going to tell me you got Mardon?" Patty demanded, more than a little hurt, glaring.

"I just haven't had a chance yet." Barry lied.

"What were you busy with, tell me." Patty folded her arms, skeptical.

"Patty, if you're mad, I'm so—"

"I'm not mad. But honestly, you were acting strange back in the morgue." Patty said, skeptical.

"I always act strange." Barry lied.

"Stranger." Patty corrected.

Barry was about to tell her before he saw Wells's look. "Look, Patty, there are just some things that I can't tell you and you're gonna have to trust me."

"Barry, you know you can tell me everything, do you?" Patty pleaded as he sighed, remembering what Mardon had almost done to her.

"I… am not ready to tell you yet." Barry said hesitantly. "But I'm just glad that Mardon is not going to hurt anyone anymore, especially you. So… how about we go out on a drink? I mean…"

"Are you going to tell me what really happened?" Patty asked.

"I… I just want to make sure we make the best of what we've got." Barry said as she stared, considering.

"O…kay…" She trailed off as Barry left, leaving her confused.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

"Barry, would you please tell me what happened?" Patty asked as Barry was hesitant to tell her, while they were in a bar with Cisco. "And I want the truth, how did you know where Mardon was?" Barry stopped, hesitant as she shot him a look. "Barry, please. All I'm asking you for is to be honest with me. What's going on?"

"I…" Barry was hesitant to tell her. "This is going to sound crazy—"

"Barry, we've seen a guy turn into mist and a woman blow stuff up by touching them, so I think that 'crazy' might be our new normal." Patty said.

Barry was about to open his mouth before he saw Cisco talking to a pretty blonde woman. "Wow, looks like someone's got a date tonight."

"Well, Cisco, you sly dog." Patty teased before she turned to Barry again. "What were you going to tell me?"

Barry sighed, not sure how to tell her or whether he should, considering Wells's warning. "I… just… had a feeling."

"About where Mardon was or about where what was going to be or what was going to happen?" Patty asked skeptically. "Barry." She gave him a look and Barry sighed.

"It's… I had a hunch, that's it." Barry said and she snorted, immediately seeing through him.

"You know, after everything we've been through, I thought you'd be honest with me." Patty said with pleading and understanding look. "Barry, if you need to get something off your chest, I'm always here for you. But, please, just don't lie to me."

"I don't want to lie to you." Barry admitted.

Patty scoffed. "But you don't want to tell me the truth, either. What's going on?"

Barry sighed. "It's… complicated."

Patty sighed with a disappointed look as she left, leaving Barry hurt.

* * *

Cisco entered with the woman, who had introduced herself as Lisa, into the house as it was dark in the room.

"I can't believe this. The day started out pretty terrible, but it's turning out pretty damn good." Cisco said.

"I'll say." Lisa quipped as Cisco looked around the house.

"Wow. Look at this, these are nice digs." Cisco said, taking off his jacket.

"Oh, we're just squatting." Lisa said.

"We?" Cisco asked, confused.

"Yeah." Lisa said, revealing her blonde hair to be a wig as she took it off, revealing brunette hair. "Me and my brother."

The lights turned on as Cisco recognized the voice, while turning around. "Hello, Cisco. What exactly are your intentions with my sister?" Snart asked.

"Oh, come on." Cisco groaned, realizing he had been duped. "I should've known better. I am not that lucky." A dreadful realization hit him. "Please, don't kill me for kissing your sister."

"You kissed him?" Snart asked the woman.

"You're not Dad, Lenny." Lisa shrugged.

"I know, Dad's in jail. Sterling role model." Snart drawled.

"What do you want, Snart?" Cisco demanded, glaring.

"Guns. Heat and cold, to be precise." Snart said.

"There's no way I'm making weapons for you. Never again." Cisco glared.

"Mick." Snart called out as Mick entered with Cisco's brother Dante, who was gagged and tied up as Cisco paled. "I know I would do everything in my power to protect my family. The question is, will you?"

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Caitlin and Wells heard Barry tap the doorframe as he entered the Cortex, while they turned to him, confused.

"What? No whoosh-in?" Caitlin asked.

"I needed the walk." Barry said, clearly tired.

"What happened?" Wells asked.

"Nothing. Uh... Patty and I… I don't wanna talk about it actually." Barry said.

"OK." Wells said, for a brief second smiling in satisfaction.

"Have you talked to Cisco? I've been trying him on his cell, but he's not answering. I'm kind of worried about him. He had a rough night." Caitlin said.

"Trust me. It got better." Barry assured before his phone went off and he answered the call. "Hey, Joe, what's up?"

" _Yeah, Snart's back._ " Joe said and Barry paled.

"Wait, Cold is back?" Barry demanded.

" _Yeah, he was spotted at the Santini crime family casino. If he's hitting the Santinis, we could be looking at the beginning of a mob war."_ Joe explained. Barry hung up, sighing in frustration before turning to Caitlin and Wells.

"Well, this day just keeps getting better, doesn't it? Wells drawled.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Snart and Lisa were in a casino in a shootout with the Santini mob as Lisa used her new weapon that sprayed some gold-like substance, encasing one of the mobsters before the Flash sped in, taking out the mobsters.

"How many times are we gonna go through this, Snart?" The Flash demanded.

"Until the best man wins." Snart said as he went out from his cover, about to shoot the Flash until he held Lisa as a human shield.

"Drop the gun!" The Flash ordered as Snart mockingly raised his hands in surrender.

"We both know you're not going to do anything to her." Snart gloated. "Oh, by the way, meet my baby sister. Lisa, Flash. Flash, Lisa. Cisco has been very, very busy. Unless you want me to mail small, frozen pieces of him back to his family, I'd take your hands off her."

The Flash glared and seethed, realizing Snart had him before he let Lisa go. "Let him go, Snart."

"I'll think about it." Snart said as Lisa blew the Flash a kiss before they both left.

"God." Barry groaned.

* * *

Later, the police was making the casino a crime scene as Joe approached Barry.

"Barr. Witnesses reported seeing the Flash. They said you had Snart dead to rights, but you let him go. Why?" Joe demanded.

"Cisco. Snart and his sister have him." Barry said.

"Oh, man." Joe sighed. "OK. Get to S.T.A.R. Labs. Patty and I'll get there when I can."

"Well, I…" Barry hesitated as he saw Patty looking at him apprehensively. "OK."

Joe noticed how Barry and Patty were looking at each other. "Is everything OK between you two?"

"Everything's fine, Joe, really." Barry lied as he left.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry sat down, disappointed as he and Wells were examining the footage.

"So there's Cisco getting into a car with Snart's sister. The license plate is iced over." Wells said as Barry banged the desk in frustration.

"All right, Dr. Wells, you were right. I screwed with time, now time is screwing with me. Cold is back, he kidnapped Cisco, and Patty—"

"Stop right there, before you cause another disruption to the timeline." Wells interrupted.

"Please, Dr. Wells. Please, I have to talk to someone." Barry pleaded.

"Go ahead." Wells said after a moment.

"In the previous version of today, Captain Singh is seriously injured, Patty is in danger and she almost dies because of Mardon and I can't stop it." Barry said.

"And now Cisco's life is on the line, while Patty is safe." Wells deduced.

"But she knows something's up. What am I supposed to tell her?" Barry said. "I don't want to lie to her. I care about her."

"Barry…" Wells sighed. "Sometimes the best way to protect the people you love, is by keeping from them the biggest secret in your life."

"I thought that I was helping people by stopping Mardon." Barry said, disappointed.

"Yes, but this new ability of yours, Barry, is a dangerous thing. You only traveled back in time one day. What if you traveled back decades? Centuries?" Wells pointed out, putting down his glasses. "Imagine the havoc you could wreak."

Barry stared, considering. "But I will have the opportunity to travel back in time in the near future and save my mom." He turned to Wells, feeling betrayed. "Are...? You're saying I shouldn't?"

"I'm saying how many more people could die, if your mother lives?" Wells pointed out.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

"Is everything OK between you and Barry?" Joe asked as he walked down the precinct with Patty.

"Honestly, I don't know." Patty said. "Don't you think…"

"…he's been acting strange the whole day? Yeah." Joe nodded.

"He's never lied to me before. What's going on with him?" Patty wondered.

"I'm not sure." Joe said. "But the best thing you can do, is let it be for now." He took a breath as he sat at his desk, while Patty listened.

"The first few weeks he lived with us, he would often get sad, angry, upset and frustrated." Joe said. "And quite often he acted…"

"…off?" Patty asked and Joe nodded.

"He would never tell me or Iris what was going on with him. It was mostly about the man in yellow killing his mother, not that we believed him at the time, of course." Joe said. "We tried to be there for him but he would rather push us away than let us help him. And when there were other issues, like bullies or… him behind with a science project, he'd rather deal with it alone, than let someone help, since he would want to keep that pain bottled up and channel it all on his own. And it would take weeks for him to let us in. And… maybe the deal with the Reverse-Flash has been bringing it all back to surface." He took a breath as Patty considered. "All I'm saying is… he needs some space to process. You can be there for him but you can't push the issue."

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"There's nothing on the satellite thermography." Caitlin said, looking at the computer.

"You were right. This is all my fault." Barry sighed.

"How is this your fault?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"Brave heart, Barry. We'll get Cisco back." Wells assured.

"I'm back." Cisco said upon entering, much to their surprise.

"My God, are you OK?" Caitlin asked as she hugged him. "We were so worried."

"What happened?" Barry asked.

"How did you escape?" Wells inquired.

"I didn't." Cisco shook his head.

"Snart just let you go. Why?" Barry asked, confused as Caitlin pulled away from Cisco.

"He… he tortured my brother." Cisco said, breathing out, hurt. "And he said he was gonna kill him if I didn't... if I didn't tell him..." He stopped, unable to continue.

"Tell him what?" Caitlin asked.

"Who the Flash really is." Cisco said as Barry and Caitlin sighed. "I... Honestly, man, they could've killed me... but they were gonna kill my brother." He started to break down in tears. "I couldn't let them do that."

"Hey." Barry neared Cisco, assuring him.

"I'm sorry, Barry. I'm so sorry." Cisco said as Barry put a hand on his shoulder.

"No. I put you in that position." Barry pulled him in for a hug. "I'm the one who's sorry." Cisco breathed out as he pulled away, about to leave. "Where are you going?" Barry asked.

"I don't deserve to be here. I won't be the one to put you in jeopardy, not again. Never again." Cisco said as he left.

* * *

Cisco was in his workshop, packing things up as Wells entered.

"Don't worry, I'll be out of here soon." Cisco said.

"Well, before you shuffle off forever, may I show you something?" Wells asked as Cisco followed him to where they had trapped the Reverse-Flash on Christmas.

"I get it. I failed." Cisco said.

"No, no, no. Now, you're an incredibly clever guy, Cisco. So, why don't you tell me why would I bring you down here?" Wells asked.

Cisco paced down the room, looking around. "Because we all failed that night, but we kept going." He eyed the trap he had built. "We kept trying to protect each other and Barry, despite the setbacks."

"Making a choice between two people you love, that is the hardest dilemma you will ever face." Wells said.

"Well, you won't have to worry about me making the wrong decision again." Cisco drawled as he sat down.

"All you proved today, Mr. Ramon, is that you're human. All you proved today is that you love your brother. And the reason that we all want you to stay, is that we love you too." Wells assured as Cisco stared, considering. "Now, I am not a parent but in many ways, you have shown me what it's like to have a son."

Cisco looked down, contemplating before Caitlin called out over P.A. " _Guys, you should get up here._ "

"Shall we?" Wells asked before he and Cisco returned to the Cortex.

"The casino wasn't the target." Barry said.

"Then why did he do it?" Cisco wondered.

"Casinos keep tons of cash on hand to cover their markers, not to mention the money that they make." Caitlin said.

"But if they're under attack, the protocol is to relocate the money outside the casino." Barry said.

"So, that was Snart's plan all along, to trigger the move." Wells realized.

"OK, where is it now?" Cisco asked.

* * *

_**Central City** _

Snart, Mick and Lisa were on bikes, ambushing the transport truck as the mobsters opened the cargo door, shooting at them but Lisa disabled one of their guns with her gold gun, while Mick burned the tires before the Flash grabbed Snart and dragged him into the forest as Mick and Lisa fell off their bikes, while the Flash and Snart faced off in the forest.

"Good to see you… _Barry_." Snart said.

"We have to talk." Barry said, taking off his mask. "I know Cisco told you who I am."

"Can't really blame the kid for giving you up. You or his brother? Come on. I put him in a tight spot." Snart smirked. "Same kind I got you in right now. Can't really stop me, now that I know who you are."

"I could speed you to my private prison where you'll never see the light of day." Barry countered.

"You could but then I won't be around to stop my own private uplink that'll broadcast your identity to the world." Snart said and Barry sighed, realizing he had him. "So, the million-dollar question: What to do with me now, Barry Allen?"

"I won't let you keep stealing whatever you want, whenever you feel like it. It needs to end." Barry said.

"Can't do that. It's what I do." Snart shrugged.

"Then find a new line of work." Barry pointed out.

"Don't want to."

"And why's that?"

"The same reason you keep running after guys like me. The adrenaline. The thrill of the chase. I love this game. And I'm very good at it."

"Then go play it somewhere else. Leave Central City."

"Can't do that either. I love it here." Snart took a breath, looking around. "This city is my home."

Barry took a breath, nearing Snart. "You've seen what I can do. You know that I can stop you. You wanna keep pushing your luck, go for it. But from here on out, no one else dies. If you're as good as you say you are, you don't have to kill anyone to get what you want."

Snart smirked. "That's true."

"And if you or anyone in your rogues gallery goes near any of my friends or family again, I don' t care who you tell my identity to. I'm putting you away." Barry warned as Snart stared in consideration.

"I guess your secret's safe… Flash. For now." Snart said as Barry put on his mask. "Oh, I don't suppose you'd give me a ride back to town, would you?" Barry chuckled as he sped off, while Snart smirked. "The Rogues. Cute." He smiled at the thought of his group named like that.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

Barry entered his lab but stopped, eying Patty nervously as she stared at him with passive look.

"Look, Patty, I—"

"Barry, before you say anything, let me start first." Patty said as he stopped. "I… I understand how hard it's gotta be for you regarding the Reverse-Flash that you think you gotta deal with it alone. I was pissed the other night, when I found out that Mardon was back. And, God, did I want to smash something so badly." She smiled. "You know, I've imagined in my head dozens of scenarios of me rushing to him without a second thought and almost getting myself killed, without me listening to you, Joe or Singh and it made me realize how worried you must have been for me."

Barry breathed out. It was close enough to what happened to the previous version of today. "Yeah. Honestly… you freaked me out the other day and I… I just couldn't stop worrying about you, all I could think about was that we needed to find Mardon ASAP."

Patty nodded, looking down, a bit ashamed. "I guess I owe you and Joe an apology."

"No." Barry shook his head. "No, I get it, really. I just… I don't want to see you get hurt and imagining what Mardon might do to you frightened me to the bone." He held her hand. "I just can't stand the thought of losing you."

Patty gave him a reassuring smile. "You're not going to lose me, Barry." She said as she pulled him in for a kiss.

* * *

_**CCPN** _

Mason Bridge was writing an article before the computer turned off and he heard a distorted voice that frightened him as he looked around for the source.

" _Harrison Wells. What do you know about him?_ "

Mason turned around before the Reverse-Flash punched him, sending him crashing towards another table before Mason crawled on the floor.

" _What do you know?_ "

"Everything I know is in that drive. I swear." Mason said, terrified as he faced the Reverse-Flash.

The Reverse-Flash punched Mason, knocking him towards the ceiling before punching him again, sending him across the room as Mason crawled back in fear. " _Everything?_ " The Reverse-Flash demanded.

"Everything! Just take it!" Mason wailed, crawling towards a wall. Suddenly, a fist protruded from his chest before pulling away as Mason closed his eyes and went limp.

"You really were on to the story of the century. Well, this century anyway." Thawne said as he phased his hand into Mason's hard drive, erasing all evidence he had before disposing of the computer and Mason's corpse.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Do you think I made a mistake? Letting Snart go?" Barry wondered as he was with Wells in the Cortex.

"You did what you felt was right in the moment. And really, Barry, that's the best any of us can hope for. For now, let's be thankful the timeline remains intact." Wells said as he turned to the monitor.

Barry suddenly remembered, wiping his face. "Oh, I keep forgetting, I've been meaning to ask you. It's about Simon…" He stopped as he stared in shock, as he saw on the computer the news bulletin about Mason Bridge going missing, realizing something indeed was off about Wells.

"You were saying, Mr. Allen?" Wells asked.

"Uh..." Barry quickly turned off the news. "Nothing. Sorry." He got up and left, putting on his jacket. "Goodnight, Dr. Wells."

"Goodnight, Barry." Wells said before he looked at Patty's photo. Well, if Mardon could not do the job, he would have to try another tactic.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

Joe and Patty entered Barry's lab as he stared outside the window.

"Is everything OK, Barry?" Patty asked.

"Why'd you wanna meet up here so late?" Joe asked.

"I think that maybe you were right about Dr. Wells." Barry said, turning around to face them.

"Which part?" Joe asked.

"All of it." Barry said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've debated whether Barry would tell Patty about time travel or not but then I remembered how I didn't like how Barry was unable to be honest with her in the show because of Zoom threatening to kill her. It always felt to me that if Barry had been more honest with Patty, it could have worked out but Patty had been written off because of Shantel VanSanten being casted into Shooter TV series and the way Patty's send-off was done was terrible and they left her forgotten.
> 
> But she has also shown to be understanding and more mature than Iris, so I didn't want to have her be too angry at Barry for lying, like how Felicity is at Oliver or Iris is at Barry. I tried to have her reaction more leveled down, not sure if I did OK there.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	18. Tricksters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Flash deals with a copycat mimicking the work of a notorious terrorist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry pulled the sheet to reveal the evidence they had gathered.

"This is everything that we know about Harrison Wells, which is actually not a lot." Barry said.

"Didn't you read a book about him?" Joe pointed out as he sat down.

"Yeah, 600 pages and the big takeaway is he's enigmatic." Barry said.

"Your mother was murdered by a speedster and Wells' particle accelerator turned you into a speedster. That's not a coincidence." Patty said.

Barry sat down and wiped his face, sighing in frustration. "Do you think that he wanted me to become the Flash?"

Joe took a breath, considering. "Everything he's done since that night you got struck by lightning: bringing you to S.T.A.R. Labs, giving you the suit, training you. It's all been to keep you safe."

"And to make me faster. Wells once said that he needed more speed from me." Barry added.

"But why?" Patty wondered.

"I don't know." Joe got up, examining the evidence. "But he wants something from you, Barry. We just need to figure out what it is."

"Well, let's go get him, let's get some answers." Barry said.

"Barry, all the evidence we have is circumstantial at best." Patty argued. "We have nothing that would link Wells directly to all of this."

"Joe, you had your suspicions about Wells from the very beginning." Barry turned to Joe. "You thought that he might be the man in yellow."

"Except the blood from your house didn't match him." Joe said.

"But even if he's not the Reverse-Flash…" Patty trailed off.

"…he knows what happened that night." Barry finished. "He may have the key to getting my dad out of prison."

"Whatever Wells wants from you, it started 15 years ago. He's been patient." Joe said as they stared at the table. "He's been patient. Scary patient."

"And we just need to be just as patient. Wait until he makes a mistake." Patty said.

"Yeah." Barry nodded before they heard explosion and turned to the windows to see the smoke.

"What the hell…" Patty trailed off.

* * *

People started to run as gift boxes descended down on parachutes and exploded upon landing.

"Henry? Henry!" The father called out to the little boy, who was about to reach for one of the gift boxes, not knowing it was a bomb until the Flash caught the boy and got him towards his father, who hugged him tightly in relief. "Henry!"

"Henry. Nice name." The Flash smiled before he sped off.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry, Joe, Patty, Cisco, Caitlin and Wells were watching the video of the man claiming responsibility for the bombing, wearing a blue domino mask and a coat, dressed as some sort of a clown.

" _Tricked you. Ha-ha. Look who's back. My tricks. My treat. But I'll give you something good… to eat. Today's special: A city in ashes. The Trickster proudly welcomes you all... to the new... disorder._ "

"Talking in the third person. That's never a good sign." Cisco noted.

"You're just mad because he named himself." Caitlin said.

"Actually, he didn't." Joe shook his head as Wells, Caitlin and Cisco turned to them.

"20 years ago, Central City had to deal with a series of terrorist attacks orchestrated by one man. At least ten civilians and two cops died. He called himself 'The Trickster'." Patty said.

Cisco looked up Trickster and laughed at seeing the photos and news articles. "Whoa. Someone was rocking the unitard."

"James Jesse?" Caitlin read.

"Like Jesse James, only more twisted." Joe said.

"Where is this Mr. Jesse now?" Wells asked.

"Multiple life sentences in Iron Heights. Before the metahumans, the Trickster was the most dangerous thing that had ever been around Central City." Patty said.

"Until the particle accelerator blew up." Barry nodded.

"We'll go see this James Jesse at Iron Heights. See if he can give us something that can help us catch his groupie." Joe said.

"I'll analyze the video and see if I can figure out the source." Cisco said as Wells noticed how agitated Barry was, when they were about to leave.

"Joe. Patty." Wells called out as they stopped. "Barry doing all right? He seems cranky."

"Even the Flash wakes up on the wrong side of the bed some mornings. He's fine." Joe lied as Wells narrowed his eyes.

* * *

**_Later, Iron Heights_ **

"I've never seen this part of the prison before." Barry said as they walked down the corridor.

"Me either." Patty said.

"I had to have this cell specially built for James Jesse about five years ago." The warden said, accompanying them.

"Why?" Patty asked.

"A criminal psychologist set up weekly visits with him. James talked the shrink into committing suicide." The warden said as he turned to them, handing them liquorice candy sticks in a plastic bag. "Oh. You're gonna need these."

"OK." Barry said hesitantly, picking the bag as the warden let them in.

James Jesse was sitting in his cell, seemingly meditating before noticing his guests. "Gentleman. Lady. Please, be seated."

Barry and Patty sat down, eying Jesse.

"I'm Detective Patty Spivot and CSI Barry Allen." Patty said. "We have some questions we'd like you to answer."

Jesse sniffed. "Hmm… I can smell them in your pocket." He smiled as Barry pulled out the liquorice sticks as Jesse chuckled.

Barry put the file and candy into the chute into Jesse's cell. "Yesterday, hundreds of these parachute bombs were released throughout Central City."

"Huh. Fun idea." Jesse smiled before shaking his head. "But not an effective delivery system. How many died?"

"No one." Patty said.

Jesse looked disappointed. "You know, when I was free and at my height, a day without casualties was like... well, like the Cubs winning the pennant. It just never happened." He snickered as Barry and Patty looked at each other, trying a different tactic.

"The explosives I found in all the parachute bombs had the same explosive composition as the bombs you set off twenty years ago." Barry said.

"That's impossible." Jesse said, actually looking shocked. "I never told anyone that formula."

"The signatures match. They are the same explosives you used. And the man responsible for it goes by the name 'The Trickster'. Just like you." Patty said.

"He is nothing like me, Detective. Nothing." Jesse sneered angrily.

It worked. They were getting under his skin. "Any idea who he is?" Patty inquired.

Jesse got up and examined the file. "Oh... If I did... I would tell you. So you could find him, cut off his head, and throw it right in his face." He showed them one of the photos in the file. "No, this is obviously the work of a rank amateur at best. A mere pretender angling for my throne."

"Got it." Patty nodded. "So, prove to this amateur there is only on real Trickster."

Jesse chuckled. "Trying to trick the Trickster, Patricia, hmm?" He gave Patty a coy look, sniffing the liquorice. "No." He paced down his cell. "There's only one way this could happen. Whoever he is, he must have found my lair." He sat down, crossing his legs again. "I ask only one thing. When you find this shtick stealer, this gimmick grabber, this pathetic, wannabe fake, make sure... your safety's off."

Jesse laughed maniacally, biting his candy as they stared.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Barry and Patty entered what used to be the Trickster's lair as they looked around.

"Rocking the '90s atmosphere. It's been abandoned for a long time." Patty said.

"Yeah, look at this thing." Barry looked at one of Jesse's costumes. "You think Jesse doesn't know who this new Trickster guy is?"

"Well, he wasn't happy that someone was copying his work using his trademark name, that's for sure." Patty said.

"Patty." Barry approached the door but was unable to open it before he vibrated his hands, forcing it open.

"Let's see what he's got in there." Patty said.

"Yeah." Barry nodded. But as soon as he opened the door, he noticed a bomb and quickly pushed Patty out of the way as it exploded.

"Whoa." Patty breathed out.

"You good?" Barry asked as she nodded.

They entered the room, in which the bomb was and looked around, noticing that it had been ransacked already.

"Damn it." Patty sighed.

"The copycat. He took everything." Barry said.

* * *

**_Later, Iron Heights_ **

Barry and Patty, alongside Joe returned to Iron Heights before they stopped at Henry's cell.

"Hey, can we have a second?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, sure." The guard nodded, leaving Barry and Henry alone.

"Dad." Barry called out as Henry turned to him. "Hey."

"Barry." Henry got up as they smiled at each other. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Uh, we have some questions for an inmate about a bombing case." Barry said. "Dad, listen. I'm close. The man who put you in here, I'm getting close. Closer than I've ever been."

"Barry." Henry gave him a pleading look. "We have talked about this."

"I know. And I'm done talking." Barry said, losing patience. "You're not gonna pay for another man's crime anymore. Just hang in there, OK?"

Barry walked away with Patty as Henry looked at Joe in confusion. "Joe. What's he talking about?"

"Like he said, Henry, just hang in there." Joe assured.

* * *

They entered Jesse's cell again as he smiled.

"What, no candy, fellas?" Jesse asked before he turned to Joe. "Who's your friend?"

"Detective Joe West, I'm helping in this case." Joe said.

"That storage where you sent us, it was booby-trapped." Patty sneered.

Jesse chuckled. "You can never be too careful with your private things."

"You were protecting nothing. Your secret stash was empty." Barry said.

"What do you mean?" Jesse demanded.

"Exactly what he said. No weapons, no bombs, nothing." Patty explained.

"Whatever you had in there, it was stolen. All of it." Barry said as Jesse glowered.

"No. He's stealing my legacy." Jesse growled. "Whoever this is, you need to find him. I will not let this, this... this…"

"Trickster?" Joe taunted.

"That is my name, mine!" Jesse snapped, clenching his fists.

"What were you hiding in that room? What did you stash there?" Patty inquired.

"A bomb. A _really_ big bomb." Jesse said.

"How big?" Barry asked.

"Bye-bye, Central City." Jesse said, smiling before Barry's phone went off and he answered the call.

"Cisco?"

" _Yo. This Trickster guy just posted a vlog, you gotta see this. I'm sending you the link._ " Cisco said.

"OK." Barry nodded before looking at the video of the Trickster.

" _Denizens of Central City. Or those of you who remain. Welcome to Boom Day._ " The Trickster laughed. "I'm very proud to report that my first trick was an exploding success."

"Show him." Joe ordered as Barry showed Jesse the video.

" _But I think you all deserve something much, uh... bigger._ "

"No, no, no, no, no." Jesse said, his voice rising with anger as he neared the screen.

" _So for my next trick..._ "

"Take off my mask, you fraud. Pretender. Sham." Jesse said angrily. "Take off my mask. Take off my mask." He banged on the glass and actually started to break down as he fell to his knees. "Take off my mask!"

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"So this was posted a few hours ago. Whoever this Trickster is, he's certainly not shy." Wells said as they examined the video.

"Not every criminal likes to hide in the dark." Barry said cryptically, looking at Wells as he, Joe and Patty stared at him.

Patty tried to divert attention, turning to Cisco. "Cisco, is there a way to trace where did he post the video from?"

"I tried. But this guy is using some crazy, Felicity-caliber scrambler like I've never seen. The origin of the upload's coming from hundreds of locations. Until he uploads another video, it's gonna be tough." Cisco said.

"This psychopath has the capability to destroy the city." Barry noted.

"Hey, I said tough, not impossible." Cisco assured him.

"Barry, we'll catch him. We always do." Caitlin assured.

"Mr. Allen. A word, please." Wells said as Barry followed him into the treadmill room. "I know what's going on with you." Barry paled, for a few moments thinking that Wells had caught him as Wells turned to face him. "I know what you're thinking."

"Do you?" Barry asked warily.

"I know going to Iron Heights and conversing with Mr. Jesse has brought about feelings of your father. How could it not?" Wells asked and Barry relaxed.

"Yeah, no, it's, uh... It's been really tough knowing that my mom's killer is still out there." Barry sad.

"Of course." Wells nodded. "But we'll find him. Together. You have my word." He assured Barry.

"Thank you." Barry said.

"But for now, how about we focus on finding this Trickster before anybody else gets hurt?" Wells suggested.

Barry cleared his throat before his phone went off and he saw a message from Iris on CCPN.

"CAN YOU MEET?"

"I have to go. But thanks for the pep talk." Barry said, walking away.

"I'm always here for you." Wells assured.

* * *

**_CC Jitters_ **

The Flash sped into the café as Iris smiled.

"You're a full-time reporter now." The Flash noted, wondering why did she want to meet in the Jitters. "Why are we meeting here?"

"I still have a key." Iris smiled.

"What do you need?" The Flash asked.

"My co-worker, Mason Bridge, is missing." Iris said. "He's not at home, he's not answering his phone I mean, it's not like him. I'm really worried that something bad has happened."

"I'm sure he's fine." The Flash assured.

Iris sighed, looking at the Flash pleadingly. "That's what Eddie says, that's what everyone is saying. Please, will you look into it? For me?"

The Flash nodded after a moment of consideration. "For you."

"Thanks." Iris smiled before noticing how agitated he was. "Um... Are you OK? You seem like you have a heavy heart."

The Flash took a breath. "Don't worry about me."

Suddenly, his comms went off as Cisco called out. " _Heads-up, Trickster's broadcasting again._ "

The Flash turned to Iris. "Can I borrow your laptop?"

"Um... Sure, help..." The Flash sped towards Iris's laptop. "Help yourself."

" _Get ready for the games to begin!_ " The Trickster said. " _I have... a bomb. It's a big bomb. It will make a big bang and then a big hole, and then a big drop in the population._ " He chuckled before continuing as even Wells, Cisco and Caitlin at S.T.A.R. Labs and Joe, Eddie, Patty and Singh alongside other policemen in CCPD watched the feed on TV. "But never say the Trickster… is not fair. The bomb is somewhere between 52nd Street...and Avenue B."

The Flash sped off, searching for the bomb.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry sped around the area but was unable to find the bomb. "Guys, I can't find it. I need your help."

"There's nothing on traffic cams or CCTV." Caitlin said.

"I re-tasked the S.T.A.R. Labs' satellite to scan the area for incendiary devices. A bomb that large should be giving off a thermal or chemical signature." Cisco said.

"Well then why can't you find it?" Barry demanded.

"Because it's a trick. The bomb's not there." Wells realized.

"No, it has to be. I'm gonna keep looking." Barry said.

"That is what he wants, for you and the police to keep running around in circles. There is something else going on, Barry. I can feel it. Now, trust me." Wells said.

Barry sighed. "I'm gonna keep looking." He sped off.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Barry!" Wells called out.

"Why doesn't he just listen to you?" Cisco muttered as he turned to Wells, who sighed.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"I found it." Barry said as he found a crate in a basement. He opened the crate but then noticed that on the lid was written "TRICKED YOU", realizing that he had been fooled.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Uh-oh. There's an explosion at Iron Heights." Cisco said as an alarm bleeped on the computer.

"This was all a diversion." Wells realized.

"The prison was the real target." Caitlin said.

Wells sighed. "James Jesse. I guess he's tricked us all."

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Guys, there's no bomb in the city. It was a diversion so the Trickster could help James Jesse escape." Barry said.

"I know. Iron Heights just sent us a surveillance footage. Jesse escaped with the Trickster's help." Patty took a breath as she and Joe were watching with Singh the footage back in the precinct. "Listen, Barry. They have a hostage."

"Well, who did he take? A guard? The warden?" Barry asked.

"They've got your dad." Patty said grimly.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"We were able to identify the other Trickster. His name's Axel Walker, age 25." Joe said. "Apparently, him and James have been corresponding through snail mail for over a decade."

Barry sat down, frustrated. "I should've been there."

"That wasn't your fault, Barry. We'll find Henry, don't worry, OK?" Patty said, putting an assuring hand on his shoulder.

"Definitely." Cisco and Caitlin nodded.

Barry sighed, turning to Wells grudgingly. "I guess I should've listened to you." He walked away as Wells stared at him warily.

* * *

Barry sat at the entrance of the Pipeline, just staring before Patty and Joe entered. "Barry, if you need to talk, we're here for you."

"Do you think my dad is still alive?" Barry wondered.

"Yes, yes, he is. Of course." Joe assured. "Jesse only took your pop to use as leverage. He might be crazy, but he's not stupid. And everyone upstairs is looking to find him."

"So now I'm supposed to just leave my dad's fate in the hands of a man, who may have had something to do with my mom's murder." Barry said lowly, sighing as his eyes got wet. "I can't do this."

"Barry…" Patty sighed.

"This doesn't make any sense. I mean, if Wells is a murderer, why does he wanna help me? Why has he helped me stop so many criminals, or saved Ronnie?" Barry shook his head, despair and sadness washing all over his face. "Why didn't I see this?"

"He fooled us all, Barry. Not just you. Me. Joe. Caitlin and Cisco. You can't beat yourself up." Patty said.

"Look, whatever else he is, he is Harrison Wells." Joe said. "You love science, he is scientist. It's like you made best friends with Einstein."

"You're saying I wanted to be tricked." Barry said.

"No." Patty shook her head. "You try to see the best in people, if it may not be in them."

"I've been a cop for 25 years. All I can see is the flaws, the lies. The dark thoughts that people think I don't see." Joe said. "I wish I could be you. As fast as you are, that is your real power. Don't let Wells take that from you."

"Right now it doesn't matter why he's helping us. He is." Patty put an assuring hand on his shoulder.

Barry was on verge of breakdown as tears filled his eyes. "I can't lose my dad." He lowered his head in despair.

"It's gonna be OK, Barry." Patty hugged him tightly before helping him get up.

* * *

They returned back to the Cortex, helping Wells, Cisco and Caitlin find Jesse and Axel.

"Anything?"

"I'm scanning traffic cams. I got nothing." Cisco said.

Joe's phone went off as he answered the call. "Hey, baby. Iris?" He suddenly looked worried as they turned to him as he turned on the speaker.

" _How many of you feel the trimethylene-32 coursing through your veins?_ " Jesse said.

"That's Jesse." Patty realized.

"Cisco, can you ping her phone?" Joe asked.

"I'm on it." Cisco typed away.

"Trimethylmercury-32 is a relatively fast-acting poison." Caitlin said.

"Is there a cure?" Barry asked.

"Yes. We can start synthesize the antidote right now." Wells nodded.

"Cisco, where is she?" Joe asked as Cisco was tracing the call.

"City Hall." Cisco said.

"The mayor's fundraiser tonight." Patty realized.

Barry nodded, putting on his suit.

"Barry, do not underestimate the Trickster." Wells warned as Barry sped off.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Jesse neared Iris before the Flash pinned him to the wall, glaring. "Where's Henry Allen?!"

"He's where you'll be soon. Heaven." Jesse smiled, looking up before Axel attached a device to the Flash's wrist, laughing. "Are you familiar with the movie 'Speed'? Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock? See, you're the bus and that's the bomb. Kinetic bomb, actually. If you go below 600 miles per hour, it'll explode. Same thing happens, if you try to remove it." Axel flipped a switch as Jesse laughed. "Ooh! It's active. Run, run, run, run, run!"

The Flash ran off, trying to make sure the bomb does not go off. "Cisco!"

"He wasn't lying. That thing's linked to a speedometer and it will blow if you stop moving." Cisco said.

"I can't run forever!" Barry panicked.

"Can he get it off without hurting him?" Patty asked.

"Barry, do you see any walls nearby?" Wells asked.

"Why?" Barry demanded.

"Because I need you to run into one. Or more accurately, through one." Wells said as they all shot him incredulous looks.

"What?" Patty and Cisco asked.

"If you vibrate at the natural frequency of air, your body, your cells, will be in a state of excitement that should allow you to phase right through that wall, leaving the bomb on the other side." Wells said.

"Should?" Barry asked, skeptical.

"You can do this, I believe in you." Wells assured.

"I can't." Barry said.

"Listen to me, Barry. Breathe. Breathe." Wells said, in a mentoring manner. "Feel the air. Feel that wind on your face. Feel the ground. Your feet lifting you up, pushing you forward, and the lightning. Barry. Feel the lightning. Feel its power." Barry kept on running, feeling what Wells had told him. "Its electricity pumping through your veins. Crackling through you, traveling to every nerve in your body like a shock. You're no longer you now. You're part of something greater. You're part of a Speed Force. It's yours." Barry closed his eyes, trying to focus. "Now do it."

Barry opened his eyes, running through a truck as the bomb fell off him and exploded as he looked perplexed. "How?"

"Barry?" Caitlin called out.

"Oh! That felt weird." Barry panted out. "I'm good."

* * *

Jesse and Axel kept checking their account until the Flash sped in, injecting everyone with the antidote. "It's OK, you've all been given an antidote."

"That wasn't very sanitary." Jesse said as the Flash glared at him and Axel.

"Where's Henry Allen? You're going to prison either way, James." The Flash said as Jesse glowered.

* * *

Henry looked up to see the trap about to fall on him as he was restrained to a chair before the Flash sped in and rescued him and Henry eyed him, smiling as the Flash sped him out. "All right." He gave the Flash a reassuring smile as he took off his mask, while Henry put a hand on his shoulder. "You always did look good in red."

Barry and Henry laughed as they hugged each other.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Wow. Half of this stuff didn't even exist when I was practicing." Henry said, looking around the Cortex.

"Yeah, well, I'd be happy to give you a crash course on all of it, if you get out." Cisco offered as Henry stared at him and Cisco looked embarrassed. "I'm gonna shut up now."

"That's OK." Henry assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Dr. Allen?" Caitlin said as she and Patty approached him.

"Yes?" Henry asked.

"Mind if we hug you?" Patty asked.

"Absolutely, I will always accept a hug." Henry said as they hugged each other. "Thank you." They let go as he turned to Patty, smiling. "And you, especially, Patty. You've been there for Barry, when he needed someone the most. I'm glad he has someone like you."

"I'm not gonna give up on him, Henry. That's a promise." Patty smiled.

Henry approached Barry, who was staring at the Flash suit. "You gotta tell me: What does it feel like when you're running down the street like a bat out of hell?"

Barry carefully turned to Wells before turning to Henry. "There's no feeling like it."

"I bet." Henry nodded before looking around. "Actually, you're all heroes in my book. Especially you, Dr. Wells." He approached Wells, shaking his hand. "Thank you. For everything that you've done for my son.

"Well, your son is an extraordinary man, Dr. Allen. I will do everything in my power to ensure Barry's future." Wells assured and Barry tried to resist the urge to shiver.

Henry approached Barry, hugging him again before pulling away.

"It's time, Joe." Henry prepared his hands but Joe shook his head.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"OK."

They left as Wells observed. "Your father's an extraordinary man. You're lucky to have him." He noted.

"I'm lucky to have you too." Barry said, as if he had swallowed a lemon, shaking his hand with Wells.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"Hi, Joe." Eddie said upon entering Barry's lab. "Desk sergeant said you're looking for me."

"Hey, yeah, um..." Joe took a breath, offering Eddie a chair. "Sit down."

"It's about Iris." Patty said.

"Hey, Patty. What about her?" Eddie asked, confused.

"She's looking into Mason Bridge's disappearance. We can't let that happen." Joe explained as Eddie felt a gust of wind and turned around to face the Flash.

"Detective." The Flash said, not vibrating his voice as Eddie stared, recognizing the voice before he put down his mask as Eddie got up, staring in shock.

"Eddie, we need your help." Patty said.

* * *

**_West House_ **

"Brazil?" Iris asked, skeptical as Eddie filled her in. "Why would... Mason move to Brazil?"

"Apparently, there was a girl involved." Eddie lied. "And he decided to go hike the Amazon with her for a year. You know, live off the grid, write his memoirs or something."

"Wow, I guess you really don't know anyone." Iris muttered as Joe, Barry and Patty entered, with Eddie eying them warily.

"No, you don't." Eddie said.

"Hey, baby. Everything good?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Um... dinner will be ready in a jiff, OK?" Iris said, getting up.

"Mind if I join?" Patty asked.

"No, you're welcome to stay." Iris said, heading to the kitchen.

"She buy it?" Joe asked.

"I think so." Eddie nodded.

"Keeping her in the dark, it's for her safety." Joe said.

"That is debatable and we will have that debate." Eddie noted. "But for right now, what's our next move? How do we figure out what Wells is up to?"

They turned to Barry. "When Wells was talking me through phasing, so I could get the Trickster's bomb off my wrist, the way that he described my being the Flash running, feeling the wind, and the power, it's like he was talking from experience."

"What do you mean?" Patty asked.

"I don't know how but he's the man in yellow. Harrison Wells is the Reverse-Flash." Barry said, much to their shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not especially proud of this chapter, considering it wasn't much different from the actual episode and the next chapter will be more or less the same too, with Ray and Felicity visiting but I'm planning some changes in 1x19.
> 
> And who else hears the Joker, when Mark Hamill talks like a maniac? * chuckles *
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	19. The Bug-Eyed Bandit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and her new boyfriend Ray Palmer help Barry with a criminal using robotic bees to murder people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

" _We got a 10-31 in progress. Shiny Diamond, 18th and Olive._ " The radio called out as Joe and Eddie were chasing a car.

"That's a few blocks from here." Eddie said.

"Has every crook in Central City gone crazy?" Joe grumbled as he pulled out his phone. "This is the third attempted robbery tonight. Barry, we got another one."

The Flash sped into the car. "Hello."

"18th and Olive." Joe said.

"Got it." The Flash nodded before Joe noticed the other man next to the Flash.

"Who's this?" Joe asked.

"Oh. Indecent exposure. Powell Park." The Flash said.

"That ain't something you should be showing people." Joe said uncomfortably, eying the man carefully.

"They're getting away, guys." Eddie said as he kept chasing the car in front of them.

"They're not getting away." The Flash assured.

"Let's get these bozos up ahead of us first and then we'll worry about the idiots at the Shiny Diamond." Joe said.

"All right." The Flash nodded.

"We're gonna run out of room, though." Joe eyed the back of the car.

"I'll take care of that." The Flash assured before he sped out.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Eddie asked before he noticed that the Flash had put Joe into the thieves' car on the driver's seat, while the driver was on the passenger seat of Eddie's car as he chuckled. "Oh, that's what he meant."

* * *

"I think we lost them." The other thief said.

"Oh, no, you didn't." Joe said, pointing his gun at him. "And by the way, you're under arrest."

* * *

The thieves in the jewelry were about to leave before Patty entered with her gun ready, alongside with Joe and Eddie. "Not so fast." Patty said.

The Flash sped in, disarming the thieves. "You guys missing these?"

"On the ground. On the ground." Eddie ordered.

The thieves fell on their knees as Joe, the Flash and Patty laughed.

"So, uh, I'm just curious but, um, have you guys have not heard of me, or what?" The Flash quipped as he high-fived with Patty and Joe before turning to Eddie, who was apparently uncomfortable, still getting used to it. "Nice work, detective."

* * *

**_Later, Hudson University_ **

The following morning, Joe, Eddie, Patty and Barry entered the crime scene.

"Victim's name is Lindsay Kang. Engineering professor at Hudson University." Eddie said as Lindsay's body was put in the bag. "Just got tenure."

"I remember her. She was a good person." Patty said.

"You studied here, didn't you?" Joe asked.

"With triple major." Patty nodded.

"Hey, so her whole body is covered in these puncture wounds you see on her face." Barry said. "Bite marks, maybe."

"Or stings." Patty noted, examining the wounds.

"Whatever it was, she must have gone into anaphylaxis." Barry said.

"Damn." Joe muttered.

"Yeah." Barry nodded.

"We should do a toxicology, run some tests in the lab to determine the cause of death." Patty suggested.

"They can do it faster at S.T.A.R. Labs." Joe said.

"Well, yeah, but I mean, it's just..." Barry shifted uncomfortably.

"It's just _what_?" Joe asked as they followed him.

"It's kind of weird being there right now." Barry said.

"Barry, you know we have to play it cool with Wells." Joe reminded. "If he finds out we suspect him—"

"I know. I get it. I just think that we should tell Cisco and Caitlin." Barry said as Joe sighed.

"Barry's right, we might need their help." Patty said.

"The more people who know, the more chance Wells is gonna find out we're onto him." Joe said. "What if one of them slips up or panics? Or what if—"

"What?" Barry blinked.

"What if they're not on our side?" Joe pointed out.

"Joe, you're not suggesting…" Patty trailed off as she and Barry stared at Joe.

"No, absolutely not." Barry shook his head. "They're not involved in whatever he's planning."

"I mean, Wells is their boss, their mentor. They've been with him for a long time. I've seen plenty of people make the wrong choice for loyalty." Joe pointed out and they both sighed, realizing he had a point. "Please, do not include them until we can be sure."

"OK."

"All right." Barry and Patty nodded.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Death by apitoxin." Caitlin said.

"Honeybee venom." Wells said.

"Bees. Why did it have to be bees?" Cisco muttered as they were watching the documentary about bees. "Y'all, I don't do bees. Ain't nobody got time for bees."

"When a honeybee stings, the stingers are torn from their abdomen and they die." Wells said.

"We found no stingers in the body or dead bees in the car." Patty said.

"A honeybee can only deposit 0.1 milligrams of apitoxin when it releases its stinger." Caitlin said.

"And yet Ms. Kang was found with enough venom in her system to kill a herd of elephants." Wells noted. "It appears not only is a metahuman controlling these bees but also increasing their toxicity."

"Bees use pheromones to communicate. Is it possible our meta is controlling them through secretion?" Patty asked.

"Anyone wanna join me in getting a beekeeper suit?" Cisco asked.

"I'm pretty sure I can outrun a bee." Barry assured.

"Just don't run into a lake." They turned around to notice that Felicity had entered. "The bees will wait for you to come up for air. Then they'll sting you. Discovery Channel. Turns out there's a lot to discover."

"Felicity, what are you doing here?" Barry asked, confused.

"Can you guys come outside for a sec?" Felicity said, pointing to the door as they raised their brows.

* * *

They were outside S.T.A.R. Labs looking at the sky, just staring, which had taken a few minutes by that point.

"What exactly are we waiting for, Ms. Smoak?" Wells asked before Felicity pointed up to the sky as they saw some black spot.

"Up there." Felicity said.

"Is that a bird?" Caitlin asked.

"It's a plane." Cisco said, looking closely.

"No, it looks like a man." Patty said as the spot revealed itself to be a man in a metal suit, who landed on the ground, cracking it.

"It's my boyfriend." Felicity said as the man took off his helmet, smiling.

"Hi. I'm Ray." Ray smiled.

* * *

"So he seems a little tall for you." Barry noted as Ray was in the lab, with Caitlin examining him.

"Barry Allen, are you jealous?" Felicity whispered teasingly.

"No, no. I'm not jealous. I just... I really wish you would have called before flying in." Barry said.

"Oh, no. He flew. I drove." Felicity shook her head.

"Felicity, seriously, you guys kind of picked up a bit of a bad timing for coming to visit." Patty said.

"Why? What's going on?" Felicity asked, confused.

Ray went out before Barry and Patty could explain as he took a breath. "Ah. My ears popped, so that's something."

"You're lucky you didn't break your neck. What is it with billionaires being superheroes?" Caitlin muttered as Cisco was examining the suit.

"So have you picked a name yet?" Cisco asked.

"I'm kind of partial to the Atom." Ray did a gesture and imitated a flying sound.

"Are you married to that, or...?" Cisco frowned.

"Your A.T.O.M. suit. Quite the technological achievement, Mr. Palmer. I'm impressed." Wells noted.

"And he is never impressed." Caitlin said.

"Well, thank you. But I can't quite seem to keep it up." Ray said hesitantly.

"He means the suit." Felicity said upon noticing the look on Caitlin's face.

"Yeah, I mean the suit." Ray said as Felicity neared him, holding him by his arm and Barry wiped his face and Patty suppressed a smile, noticing the unintentional innuendo. "I can attest that everything else works fine. There's nothing we need to fix in that area."

"The sex is great." Ray chuckled awkwardly.

"God, there's two of them." Caitlin said.

"I know from Felicity that you have been very helpful with Barry and the Flash suit. And I was hoping to get another set of eyes on my..." Ray paused as Felicity held him tightly.

"Problem?" She asked.

"...problem." Ray nodded as Wells nodded too.

"Any friend of the Arrow's is the friend of—"

"Hell, yes." Cisco said, enthusiastic.

"Uh, guys, we kind of have a lot going on already." Barry said, not wanting to deal with Ray and Felicity, considering the newest case and Wells.

"We've got a metahuman killer controlling a whole swarm of bees." Patty said.

"Cool." Ray smiled before noticing the look Felicity shot at him. "I mean, awful."

"I'm sure Caitlin and I will provide ample support." Wells assured.

"And I will be happy to sit this one out." Cisco said, much to their surprise.

"You...?" Barry paused.

"Ray, why don't you stay here and work on your suit, while I go with Barry and Patty to Jitters for some java?" Felicity asked.

"Sounds like a plan." Ray nodded.

"Yeah, I could use a coffee." Patty nodded as they left, while Wells eyed them in suspicion.

* * *

**_Later, CC Jitters_ **

"You know I left Starling City to get away from the mood and brood." Felicity said as she, Barry and Patty picked their mugs of coffee from the counter. "But it looks like it followed me here."

Barry sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. It's like we said before, now is not the best time."

"Barry, I have been through enough with you to know when you're holding something back." Felicity said as they sat down. "Is this because I told Ray your secret? Because he is trustworthy, Barry. He wants to help people, like you." She assured.

"Yeah, I know." Barry nodded.

"Look, we have no doubt that Ray can be trusted, Felicity but really, you guys picked kind of a bad timing and we don't want to put you in danger." Patty said.

"In danger of what?" Felicity asked, confused.

"Barry, Patty, hey." Eddie said as he approached them.

"Eddie, hey. Uh, you remember Felicity." Barry said as Eddie turned to her.

"Of course." Eddie nodded.

"Hey." Felicity smiled.

"Great to see you."

"Yeah."

Felicity noticed how on edge Eddie was. "What is wrong with you? Is everyone in Central City in a bad mood? I thought Central City was supposed to be the fun one."

"It's just, um..." Eddie glanced at her uncomfortably as they realized what did he mean. "It's not—"

"Felicity knows." Patty said.

"Wow. So everyone but Iris." Eddie grumbled, annoyed.

"It feels that way." Barry shrugged, drinking his coffee.

"How do you lie to everyone you care about?" Eddie demanded.

"I ask myself that every day." Patty muttered.

"For starters, don't think of it as lying. Think of it as protecting her from getting hurt. With a fib." Felicity said.

"But Iris can tell I'm hiding something." Eddie said with a pleading look. "And it's putting this distance between us."

"I have an idea. Why don't we all go to dinner tonight? A little wine and dine is sure to bridge the gap." Felicity suggested, smiling. "Come on, we all had fun last time."

"Sure. Why not?" Eddie chuckled.

"A triple date? Well…" Patty shrugged.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"So you put solid oxide fuel cells into the belt?" Cisco asked as he and Ray were examining the suit, while they were in the lab, where they had the trap for the Reverse-Flash.

"Yeah, that's the only place to hide the hardware." Ray nodded.

"Hmm. Well, they should be generating enough energy to power the suit." Cisco mused. "It could be the operating temperature. I mean, you're essentially..."

"…overheating the system, yeah, I figured." Ray nodded.

"But if we insulate them with a ceramic compound…" Cisco mused.

"…we may improve the operating efficiency." Ray smiled, impressed. "You really are quite clever, Cisco."

Suddenly, Cisco got a strange Déjà vu.

* * *

_"Some would say I'm the reverse." Wells said as Cisco turned around, shocked to see him on his feet. "You're incredibly clever, Cisco." He then plunged his hand into Cisco's chest as he fell down, dead._

* * *

"How do you turn this thing on?" Ray asked before he noticed Cisco staring. "Cisco? You OK?"

"Yeah." Cisco nodded, quickly recovering. "I haven't been getting enough sleep, so..."

"Cisco, we need you up here." Caitlin called out as the alarm went off and they entered the Cortex. "Killer bees are at it again."

"Get ahold of Barry." Wells said.

* * *

**_CC Jitters_ **

"Another bee attack. Folston Tech." Barry said, looking at the alert on his phone.

"I'll see where Joe is." Eddie nodded as he and Patty ran out.

"'Bee' careful." Felicity quipped.

"For real?" Barry shot her a look.

"Bad pun, sorry. Just don't die." Felicity said as Barry ran off.

* * *

**_Folston Tech_ **

The Flash entered and saw a dead man in suit on the chair in an office, with stings on his face. "I'm too late."

"Where are the bees?" Cisco asked.

"I don't know. There's no sign of them." The Flash said, looking around before he saw a swarm of bees fly out of the man's mouth. "I found them." He sped off as the bees started to follow him. "Uh, how do I get out of here?"

"Take the northeast crossways. The quickest way out of the building." Cisco said.

Barry followed his instructions but ended up at a dead end as the bees cornered him. "Guys, they're everywhere! I'm surrounded!"

* * *

Patty drove in before she saw the Flash get out with the swarm of bees surrounding him before they flew away. "Oh, God. Barry!" She exclaimed, running towards him, shaking him. "Barry, come on, wake up." Patty pulled out her phone and dialed Cisco's number, while she administered chest compressions. "Cisco! Barry's got no pulse!"

"Step away from him!" Cisco ordered.

"Why?" Patty demanded as she stopped.

"We need to jumpstart his heart. There's a defibrillator in the suit." Cisco said, running towards the computer as Patty stepped back.

A moment later, Joe drove in and panicked upon seeing unconscious Barry. "Oh, God, Barr…"

Suddenly, Barry jolted twice before he gasped for air.

Patty and Joe sighed in relief as she helped Barry get up. "Oh, God, Barry. You OK?" Barry nodded as she hugged him tightly. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"That is it for the defibrillator. It is completely fried." Cisco said as he examined it.

"You're lucky to be alive, Mr. Allen." Wells said.

"I was very specific that you not die." Felicity glared at Barry.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big thing for her." Ray said.

"Cisco, what happened out there?" Barry demanded. "I followed your directions exactly."

"I'm sorry. I led you the wrong way. The schematics that we had, they, um, weren't up to date." Cisco said.

"They weren't up to date? What do you mean? That's never happened before." Barry said, confused.

"And what? You think Cisco was trying to get you killed?" Felicity joked.

"No. Why would he do that? That doesn't make any sense." Barry said, uncomfortable as Patty shivered.

"I know. That's why I was joking." Felicity assured.

"Barry, it's our job to protect you, and today we failed." Wells said as they turned to him. "But that will just serve as a warning for all of us to be more vigilant in the future."

"Good news. The apitoxin is out of your body. Your levels are back to normal." Caitlin said.

"Terrific." Barry said, quickly putting on his suit. "Patty, Ray, Felicity, we're gonna be late for dinner."

"Are you sure that's wise, Barry?" Wells asked.

"You just died." Caitlin said.

"I think we should postpone the dinner." Patty said.

"Yeah. We could totally cancel." Ray nodded.

"I'm fine. Alive. Hungry. All right?" Barry said as he walked off. "Let's go."

* * *

**_Later_ **

Ray opened the door to the restaurant, letting Barry, Felicity and Patty in as Iris and Eddie were waiting at the table.

"Oh. Thank you." Felicity smiled before turning to Eddie and Iris. "Hey, guys. Wow, Iris, check you out."

"Hi, Felicity." Iris smiled, hugging her before pulling away.

"Guys, this is Ray Palmer." Felicity introduced him as Ray offered his hand.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Ray said, shaking his hand with Eddie.

"Lovely to meet you."

"Mr. Palmer, your table is ready." The waiter said.

"Great. Shall we?" Ray said.

"Yes." Felicity smiled, holding his arm.

"Hey, how did he get a reservation here? We've been trying for months." Iris asked Barry.

"I don't know." Barry shrugged as Iris chuckled.

"Here's your table, sir." The waiter said as they noticed that the entire restaurant, save for the staff, was empty.

"I thought it'd be nice if it was quiet, so I bought out the entire restaurant." Ray said before noticing everyone staring at him. "Too much?"

"Just a tad, sweetie." Felicity said nervously.

* * *

"So how did you two meet?" Eddie asked Ray as they sat at the table.

"Work." Felicity said.

"Well, actually, I bought the company where Felicity was employed and so, she was forced to join me at Palmer Tech." Ray said.

"It's not as creepy as it sounds." Felicity added immediately.

"So you two work closely together." Iris noted as Felicity nodded. "Interesting. I guess you guys share all your thoughts and feelings and..." She glanced at Eddie, who shifted uneasily.

"Yeah, I share everything with Felicity." Ray chuckled.

"It's nice that you guys have that level of communication." Iris said as Eddie tried to keep a straight face.

"Oh, well, no, not "every" everything." Felicity said. "I mean, sometimes it's good to just shut up, heh."

"I get that." Eddie nodded. "Some things are better left unspoken."

"And there are things one is better off not knowing." Patty added, trying to stop the argument from escalating.

"Really?" Iris raised her brows. "I don't find that to be true." Eddie pouted, shivering nervously as Barry and Patty were trying to find a way to defuse the tense atmosphere before seeing the waiter.

"Finally. I'm starving." Patty sighed in relief.

"Our first course on the tasting menu is a quail-egg frittata. Bon appétit." The waiter offered.

"Barry, I gotta admit, I envy you spending so much time at S.T.A.R. Labs. Harrison Wells is like a personal hero of mine." Ray said. "I mean, it's amazing just actually being in the same room with him."

"I guess…" Patty said, her and Barry trying to suppress the shudders.

"Yeah." Barry smiled before getting up. "I'll be right back. Just excuse me."

"OK." Ray nodded.

"I… probably should check in on him." Patty said, as she got up.

"And I… have to pee." Felicity said, following Patty and Barry.

"Hey. You guys have been acting strange ever since Ray and I got to Central City." Felicity said. "What is going on? Don't say it's a bad time. Oliver might be joining the League of Assassins, Laurel is Black Canary, and Thea is training with Malcolm, so I know about bad times."

Barry and Patty stared.

"Look, Felicity…" Patty took a breath. "We and Joe recently found out that… Wells isn't who he said that he is."

Felicity looked completely confused.

"He..." Barry swallowed. "He is the man that killed my mother."

Felicity looked completely floored, staring in disbelief. "Oh, my God. But he's been helping you."

"Get faster, stronger. I know." Barry nodded, wiping his face.

"Why?" Felicity demanded.

"I wish we knew, Felicity, we just don't know who to trust anymore." Patty said.

"So you think Cisco and Caitlin are helping him? That's impossible." Felicity said incredulously.

"Is it?" Barry raised his brows.

"They were trying to save you today. They did save you." Felicity reminded.

"Wells has also saved me many times. I thought that Wells was a great man. And we were so wrong about him." Barry said, frustrated. "What if we're wrong about everything else too?"

"Hey, guys." Ray entered before Felicity could say anything. "Uh, things are getting a little intense in here." He chuckled.

They returned to the table but noticed that Eddie and Iris had left before Barry's and Patty's phones went off as they picked them up.

"Uh, emergency at S.T.A.R. Labs." Barry said.

"Go." Felicity said as Barry sped off, while Patty ran out.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

Cisco was using a fire extinguisher and Caitlin was using Ray's blaster to take out the bee as it neared Wells, who was about to get up before Barry sped in, trapping it in a vial.

"Thank you." Wells said as Barry handed the bee to Cisco.

"Let's see what makes this bee so poisonous. Ugh." Cisco said as he went to the microscope.

"You saved my life." Wells said and Barry was resisting the urge to glower.

"That is one odd-looking bee." Caitlin noted.

Cisco zoomed onto the bee, noticing that it was a robot. "That's because it isn't a bee at all. It's a robot."

"No way." Caitlin said as they looked at the bee closely.

* * *

"Unbelievable. This bot's got a 360-degree vision system." Cisco said as he, Barry, Patty, Caitlin, Wells, Felicity and Ray were examining the bee at the computer. "I mean, we're talking multiple microcameras, all coming from various angles at the same time. Which means..."

"…it can see all around the room at once. That is amazing."

"Amazing." Ray and Cisco said in unison.

"Creepy." Patty said.

"It's also next-gen hardware that's nowhere near the market." Wells added.

"So we're not dealing with a metahuman." Felicity realized.

"It's just a mad scientist." Barry said.

"Cisco, you said that the second victim, Bill Carlisle was a robotics engineer. Let's cross-reference his previous employers with those of Lindsay Kang's." Wells said.

"Allow me. Mama's been away from the keyboard for far too long." Felicity sat at the computer as Patty shook her head.

"Felicity, you do realize this isn't your turf, right?" Patty noted.

"Sorry." Felicity pulled away awkwardly.

"It's OK." Cisco assured before he pulled out Kang's and Carlisle's profiles.

"They both worked at Mercury Labs." Barry said.

"Let's call Joe. I think it's time we paid a visit to an old friend." Wells said.

* * *

**_Later, Mercury Labs_ **

"Twice in one year, Harrison. You really are vying for comeback scientist of the year." McGee said as she entered.

"Always a pleasure, Christina." Wells smiled.

"To what do I owe this visit? Did you find my tachyon prototype, or are you here to blackmail me for another one?" McGee asked.

"Do you have another one?" Wells asked, curiosity all over his face.

"Two of your former employees, Bill Carlisle and Lindsay Kang, were murdered recently." Patty said as Joe handed McGee the photos.

McGee gapped, shocked. "My God. I wasn't aware."

"Stung to death by robotic bees." Wells said.

"You're looking for Brie Larvan." McGee said after a moment, handing Joe back the photo.

"Brie Larvan?" Barry repeated.

"A quite brilliant roboticist who once developed miniature mechanical bees for agricultural use. Kang and Carlisle warned me that Brie was weaponizing the bees for military use, so I terminated her." McGee said.

"Well, it seems that you would be on her hit list too, doctor." Joe said.

"You've got to let us keep you safe." Wells said.

"I'm all too familiar with your inability to protect things, Harrison." McGee sneered as she sat down. "I can take care of myself. Good day, gentlemen. Detective Spivot."

"Thank you." Joe nodded as they left.

* * *

**_Later, CC Jitters_ **

"Where is Ray?" Barry asked as he and Patty sat across Felicity.

"He's working on his suit with Cisco." Felicity said.

"He seems like a nice guy." Patty noted.

"He is a nice guy. Just like Cisco and Caitlin. Girl." Felicity said.

"Why did you want to meet?" Patty asked.

"I know that you're in a tricky situation, but that's when you need your friends to have your back. And how can they if you won't let them?" Felicity asked.

"It's not that simple." Barry said. "What if Joe is right and I tell them and it backfires?"

"Felicity, it's not that Wells is their boss, he's also someone they look up to, their mentor and hero." Patty said.

"And my hero." Barry sighed, frustrated. "Look, it... we just don't know what to do."

Felicity took a breath. "When I first met Oliver... before I knew he was the Arrow, he would... he would ask me to do weird things for him. Like decrypt a bullet-ridden computer or hack some company. And when I would ask him why, he would come up with these ridiculous excuses. And I always knew he was lying, but I would help him anyway. You know why?" Barry and Patty listened. "Because I knew Oliver was a good person with a good heart. Cisco and Caitlin, they're no different."

Suddenly, Patty's phone went off as she answered the call. "Yeah? Wait, Cisco, slow down." She hung up. "Barry, we gotta go."

"What?" Barry asked.

"The bees. They're heading towards Mercury Labs." Patty said as they got up and walked out.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"How do we stop them?" Barry asked as he was putting on his suit.

"She's gotta be remotely piloting those bees from somewhere." Wells said.

"We need to stop this bug-eyed glasses woman." Cisco said.

"And her mini-bandits." Ray added before he and Cisco looked at each other, smiling. "Bug-Eyed Bandit."

"Got it. She's in an abandoned greenhouse." Felicity said, tracing the signal.

"Barry, you have to take out Brie. It's the only way to stop those nano-drones." Wells said.

"What about Dr. McGee?" Barry demanded.

"The defibrillator in your suit is broken." Caitlin said.

"You go anywhere near Mercury Labs, you're done." Patty realized.

"The bees can't penetrate my suit." Ray noted. "I'll go."

"Whoa. We haven't tested out the new power system yet." Cisco said.

"We'll do it now." Ray said.

"I'm following you." Cisco nodded.

"I'm driving." Caitlin nodded.

"And I'm kissing you." Felicity kissed Ray.

"Felicity, see if you can trace Brie's signal and shut the bees down somehow. I'll take her in." Patty said.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Found her." Ray said, flying in his Atom suit and seeing the bees trying to penetrate the window to McGee's office at Mercury Labs.

"Felicity, can you jam their frequency?" Cisco asked.

"I already tried, but I might be able to redirect them onto a new target." Felicity said.

"Ray, get ready for incoming."

"We have the technology." Ray said, flying up and blasting the bees before they started following him.

* * *

The Flash sped into Brie's lair. "It's over, Brie." She turned around from her computers. "I know you're trying to kill Dr. McGee. You think that she betrayed you. I can imagine how that feels."

A few moments later, Patty entered, aiming her gun. "Call off the bees. Now."

"You think you understand the sting of betrayal? I'll show you what it means to be stung." Brie sneered as the bees flew out, chasing the Flash and Patty and surrounding them before they were pushed into a corner.

"Barry, I hacked into the bees' frequency. I'm controlling them." Felicity said, typing away.

* * *

"OK, Cisco. Now what?" Ray called out as the bees were chasing him.

"Ray, get to the ocean. If the bots follow you into water, their electronics will fry." Cisco said.

"Got it." Ray said before realizing something. "Wait, but so will my suit." He dove into the river as the bees followed him and malfunctioned before Ray flew out, his suit malfunctioning too. "Cisco, I'm fried. I'm losing propulsion control."

"Can you see the van?" Cisco asked.

"Yeah." Ray nodded.

"We'll catch you." Cisco said.

"You will?" Ray asked.

"We will?" Caitlin asked at the same time.

"We will." Cisco nodded as he opened the back door.

"All right." Ray said.

"Keep it steady!" Cisco shouted.

Ray flew in as his suit stopped working and crashed before he took off his helmet.

"The Atom lives." Cisco quipped as he and Ray high-fived, laughing.

* * *

"Felicity, right now would be a good time to do something!" The Flash exclaimed.

"Stay away from my friends." Felicity sneered as the bees were inches away from Barry and Patty.

"Felicity! Hurry!" Patty panicked.

"Got it." Felicity said as the bees stopped working and fell down, while she shot up from her seat. "Boom! Drop the mic!"

Patty aimed her gun at Brie, who raised her hands in surrender. "Brie Larvan, you're under arrest for the murder of Lindsay Kang and Bill Carlisle." She cuffed Brie, who glowered.

* * *

Ray, Caitlin and Cisco went out from the van before Cisco saw one of the bees fly out from Ray's suit, nearing them. Cisco got in its way as it stung him and then Ray and Caitlin turned to him in worry as Cisco was panting out.

"Are you OK?" Ray asked before Cisco slumped to the ground.

"Cisco!" Caitlin cried out as she knelt down, applying chest compressions. "Come on, please. Wake up."

"Cisco has been stung. He's going into shock." Ray called out.

"I'm on my way." Barry said as he neared them. "Hold on, back up. I'm gonna try something." He charged his hands and used them as defibrillators, trying to revive Cisco by shocking him.

Cisco suddenly gasped for air as he got up.

"Cisco." Barry said as Cisco held his hand.

"Either my fear of bees is over, or it just got a lot worse." Cisco said.

"Thank God you're OK." Caitlin sighed in relief.

"I've never had anybody take a bee for me." Ray quipped. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, bro." Cisco chuckled.

"What is it with you guys getting stung by bees?" Patty said as they all laughed.

* * *

_**Later, CCPD** _

"Dr. McGee." Barry noticed McGee come into his lab.

"May I come in?" McGee asked.

"Yeah, of course. What can I do for you?" Barry asked.

"I wanted to apologize. I should have listened to you when you warned me about Brie." McGee said. "Perhaps next time I will take the CCPD's offer of protection."

"After we lost your tachyon prototype, I can understand why you were hesitant to trust us." Barry assured.

"Thank you." McGee nodded, about to leave before Barry got up.

"Can I ask you something?" Barry asked as she turned around. "I couldn't help but notice some tension between you and Dr. Wells."

"That's all in the past." McGee shook her head.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened between you two?" Barry asked.

McGee took a breath. "I ask myself that same question all the time. Fifteen years ago, Harrison and I were thick as thieves. We were promising young scientists in Starling City. He was such a kind man. Then everything changed after Tess died."

"They were gonna get married." Barry nodded.

"I understand how grief can affect someone, but this was more than that. It was like after that day..." Her face turned grim. "...Harrison Wells became a completely different person." Barry nodded. "Good day." She smiled before walking away.

"Bye." Barry said as Patty and Joe entered.

"Doctor." Patty greeted.

"How's Cisco?" Joe asked.

"Happy to be alive. And sad that Ray is leaving." Barry said, sitting down. "It was a really brave thing he did, risking his life. Selfless."

"Yeah, definitely was." Joe nodded.

* * *

Later at night, Cisco and Caitlin entered Barry's lab. "All right, all right. Who's ready for some..." Cisco made a high-pitch singing voice. "...karaoke?"

Then he and Caitlin stopped upon noticing Barry's, Patty's and Joe's faces.

"We are not going to karaoke, are we?" Caitlin realized.

"No. Um..." Barry pointed at the evidence board. "This is everything we know about my mother's murder and the Reverse-Flash. I've been gathering information on him for a long time." He pulled the board to reveal more evidence. "And this is everything we know about Dr. Wells."

"I don't understand. What do Dr. Wells and the Reverse-Flash have to do with each other?" Caitlin said, her and Cisco confused.

"Um..." Barry looked at Joe and Patty awkwardly.

"They're one and the same person." Patty said.

"That's impossible." Caitlin shook her head in denial.

Barry took few steps towards her. "Look, Caitlin, it took me a long time to believe it too but it's him."

"Dr. Wells is a speedster? He's paralyzed." Caitlin said, sceptical.

"Is he, though?" Joe raised his brows.

"And why would he kill Barry's mother? It doesn't make any sense." Caitlin turned to Cisco, who was just staring. "Cisco? Say something."

Cisco spoke up, clearly uncomfortable. "I've been having these dreams. Mostly at night but sometimes during the day. But they don't really feel like dreams. They... they feel real."

"What happens in the dream?" Barry asked.

Cisco shuddered, clearly uncomfortable. "Dr. Wells is the Reverse-Flash. And he kills me." He revealed, much to everyone's shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else finds it stupid how Felicity tries to take over the computers at S.T.A.R. Labs due to how possessive and annoying she is? Another example is in the second crossover, where she doesn't let Cisco near her computers in Team Arrow's lair.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	20. Everyman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Flash deals with a shapeshifter framing innocent people, while discovering a startling secret about Harrison Wells.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Where's Barry?" Eddie asked as they were in the Wests' house.

"He should be here any second. I sent him out for..."

"…pizza." Barry finished for Joe as he entered with boxes of pizza.

"What?" Cisco laughed as Patty chuckled and Caitlin stared.

"From Coast City?" Eddie asked.

"Supposedly the best in the west." Barry said, putting down his jacket.

"Why did I not think of this before? Come to papa." Cisco quipped.

"Caitlin?" Joe turned to her, as she was sitting at the stairs.

"I'm not hungry." Caitlin declined but it was obvious she was still processing the fact that Wells might be the Reverse-Flash.

"OK. Six months of investigating Harrison Wells has led us nowhere. So we're going back to the beginning to see what we can find out." Joe said.

"What does that mean?" Eddie asked.

"Road trip, baby." Cisco smirked, as he and Joe tapped their bottles of beer.

"Joe and Cisco are gonna go to Starling City." Barry explained.

"Starling City? What for?" Caitlin asked.

"To investigate the car accident that Dr. Wells was in with Tess Morgan 15 years ago." Joe said.

"I don't understand. Why?" Caitlin asked.

"Because Dr. McGee said that after the accident, Wells became a complete stranger." Patty explained.

"Just a different person entirely." Barry added.

"Because the love of his life died?" Caitlin argued. "You two, of all people, can understand how grief can change a person."

"Caitlin, we believe that Dr. Wells is the Reverse-Flash and killed Barry's mother. And he may have done the same thing to Tess Morgan." Joe pointed out.

"We need to find out everything there is to find out about what happened that night. It might tell us what we need to know." Patty said.

"Oh, um, can you cover for me? With Dr. Wells?" Cisco asked.

"You mean lie?" Caitlin stared.

"Yeah…" Cisco said awkwardly.

Caitlin sighed and shook her head. "I need some air."

She walked to the door as Barry and Eddie got up. "Caitlin."

Caitlin closed the door as they seemed disappointed. "Doesn't look like Caitlin's with us." Joe noted.

"No. She's with us. I'll talk to her." Barry assured.

"What are we gonna do here in the meantime?" Patty asked.

"Business as usual while we're gone." Joe said as they nodded.

"Copy that." Eddie nodded.

"Come on." Barry turned to Joe. "I wanna wish you good luck, but I'm also scared of what you might find."

"Scared is a good thing. Scared keeps us alive." Joe said.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Eddie was interrogating a woman, who had been working at Gold City Bank and seemed to steal from the vault according to the footage, but the woman denied ever stealing it, claiming she had been at home the whole time.

"No priors. No arrests. Not even a speeding ticket." Eddie said as he walked down with Barry and Patty. "Everyone who knows this woman, co-workers, neighbors, say she's the kindest, nicest, most honest woman they've ever met."

Barry sighed. "So unless she woke up this morning and out of nowhere, decided to become a criminal…"

"…we could be dealing with a metahuman." Patty nodded.

"Yeah." Barry sighed, nodding.

"One that can control people's minds. Coerce them into becoming thieves. Is that possible?" Eddie wondered.

Barry and Patty raised their brows. "Is that a real question?"

The elevator dinged as Iris went out. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Iris." Patty smiled.

"Hey." Barry greeted.

Iris turned to Eddie. "Have you, um, seen my dad? Captain Singh says he took a couple days off, and he hasn't been home."

They all tried to keep a straight face. "I didn't ask. Apparently, he's taking a couple of personal days. Like father, like daughter, I guess." Eddie said as she shot him a look. "I'm sorry." He smiled. "When are you coming home?"

Iris sneered. "When it starts to feel like a home again." She left as Eddie looked heartbroken.

"Sorry, Eddie." Patty held him by his shoulder.

"You better pray Joe and Cisco find something on Wells at that accident site, guys because I am just about done lying to Iris. About all of this." Eddie grumbled.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Good morning." Barry smiled as he entered the Cortex with Patty.

"Hey." Caitlin said, obviously still annoyed about what had happened the previous night.

"Look, about last night—" Patty started.

"There's nothing to talk about." Caitlin snapped as she got up.

"There is, actually... Caitlin, look. I know after everything Dr. Wells has done for all of us, it's hard to wrap your head around this, but we need you to see the truth." Barry pleaded.

"The truth? The truth is that he saved your life multiple times." Caitlin said.

"Look, we know, but if we're right about this—"

" _If_. And before I can believe any of this, I'm gonna need to see some proof." Caitlin interrupted Patty.

"Proof? Proof of what?" Wells asked as they turned around and they tried to keep a straight face.

"It's possible we're dealing with another metahuman." Patty lied quickly.

"Ah." Wells nodded. "We are always happy to help, as you know." He then frowned. "Have you heard from Cisco? He hasn't arrived yet."

"Uh, he has to help Dante, his brother. He might need a few days off." Caitlin lied.

Wells nodded as he left before Barry got a call. "Eddie."

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Hey. I got a call about a guy selling jewelry stolen from the bank last night. Could be the teller's partner." Eddie said before he saw someone go out, acting nervously. "I think he's made me. I could use the Flash's help."

"Be right there." Barry said as he sped off.

Eddie chased the thief as they struggled for a moment but the thief managed to overpower him before the Flash caught up with him. "You can't outrun me."

"I won't have to." The thief taunted before touching a woman in punk outfit and blending in with the crowd, with the Flash unable to find him.

"Well, that was new." Barry mused.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"A shapeshifter?" Caitlin asked scowling.

"Yeah." Barry nodded. "I literally saw a grown man, like morph into a teenage girl."

"That's fascinating." Wells mused. "Today's physicists have always regarded programmable matter as nothing more than a theory but I guess your shapeshifter proves it can be done."

"You're telling us that he… she…whoever that was can turn into anyone they touch?" Patty asked.

"Yes, it appears so." Wells said as he turned to Barry. "That includes you Mr. Allen."

"Dr. Wells is right. If you're touched while you're the Flash and he transforms into you, we run the risk of him exposing that Barry Allen is the man behind the mask." Caitlin said.

"Because at this moment we don't know if the shapeshifter is capable of absorbing more than just physical characteristics." Wells said.

"Like he might be able to copy my speed." Barry realized.

"That would be bad." Wells said.

"Got it. Hands off the metahuman." Barry said.

"Hands off the metahuman." Wells nodded.

"How are we supposed to find someone, who can transform into anyone?" Patty questioned.

"Well, I guess like any problem, just go back to the beginning." Wells said. "In this case, finding the first person the shapeshifter morphed into when they discovered their powers."

"Yeah, can you pull up the CCPD records of cases where the perpetrator plead innocent even though they were on camera committing the crime?" Barry suggested.

"You're good, Barry Allen. You're very good." Wells said, typing away before pulling up the results.

"I've heard there might be such cases but… wow." Patty stared.

"Look at this. Multiple crimes of this manner. All dating back to a month after the particle-accelerator explosion." Wells said.

"And the first one was?" Barry inquired.

"Jacob Fisher, a teller at the federal credit union. Claims he was innocent and was framed by his best friend, a Hannibal Bates." Wells said.

"Barry and I'll head back to the precinct. See, if we can with Eddie track this Bates somehow." Patty said, putting on her coat.

"Good." Wells nodded.

"Thank you, Dr. Wells." Barry said.

"Always here to help." Wells assured as Caitlin eyed them both in suspicion.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Later at night, Caitlin decided to visit Wells at his house, trying to get some answers as she rang the doorbell before Barry sped her away as they ended up on the road.

"Wha… Are you spying on me now?" Caitlin demanded.

"Caitlin, what were you doing at Wells's house?" Barry demanded.

"I was gonna talk to him and get some answers of my own." Caitlin said.

"You can't. You cannot talk to him." Barry said, visibly frightened.

"Oh, so I'm just supposed to stand by and watch all of you ruin this man's life? Ruin my life?" Caitlin shot back.

Barry breathed out, looking confused. "What are you talking about, "your life"?"

"Those nine months that you were in a coma were the worst of my life. I lost my reputation, my fiancé and through all of that, Harrison Wells stood by my side." Caitlin said, hurt as Barry sighed. "He told me everything was gonna be OK. If Dr. Wells is who you say he is, everything I've done since the minute I stepped foot in S.T.A.R. Labs has been a lie."

"Caitlin." Barry gave her an imploring look. "If I am right about all of this and you tell him what's been going on, I'll never be able to get my dad out of prison."

Caitlin shook her head. "Barry—"

"Look, if not for me, just do it for him." Barry begged.

Caitlin scoffed, glaring. "I can't believe you're pulling the "dad" card." Barry sighed in frustration. "It's dirty pool, Barry."

"Just until Joe and Cisco get back. Please." Barry insisted.

Caitlin sighed, giving in as Barry nodded.

* * *

Later at night, Eddie drove Barry and Patty to Bates's grandmother.

"Turns out Hannibal Bates hasn't been seen in well over a year. The only remaining relative is his grandmother." Eddie said. "She took out a missing-persons report a couple of days after the Jacob Fisher arrest. I figured we could ask her a few questions." Eddie said.

"Like why anyone in their family thought that naming a kid "Hannibal" wouldn't mean he'd grow up to be a criminal." Barry quipped.

"Let's hope he's not secretly a cannibal too. That would be just over the top." Patty said.

* * *

"Have you heard from your grandson Hannibal recently, Mrs. Bates?" Barry asked Mrs. Bates as they entered her house.

"Recently? No. Why do you ask?" Mrs. Bates said before offering them to sit on the couch. "Oh, please."

"Um... because you filed a missing-persons report over a year ago." Eddie said.

"Oh, yes. I certainly did. You'll have to forgive me, detective." Mrs. Bates nodded as she sat down. "My memory is not quite as it used to be."

"Of course." Eddie nodded.

"And neither apparently are my manners. May I get you something? Coffee? Tea?" Mrs. Bates offered as she got up.

"No, thank you." Patty declined.

"Oh, please. It'll only take a minute." Mrs. Bates insisted. "It's nice to have visitors."

"Coffee would be nice." Eddie said as she nodded, leaving. "Thanks."

Barry and Patty examined the family photos. "Mrs. Bates, you won't mind showing us a recent photograph of Hannibal, if you have one?" Patty called out.

"Mrs. Bates?" Barry called out as they looked around.

"She's gone." Eddie said.

"I'll take the front." Barry said, realizing it was Bates as he picked up his phone and ran out. "Hey, we located Bates. He was impersonating his grandma."

"Barry, do not let him touch you." Wells warned.

"Or let him see you use your superspeed." Caitlin added.

"How am I supposed to catch him?" Barry demanded.

"The old-fashioned way. Run like a normal person." Wells said.

"OK, all right. Oh, man." Barry ran down the street as Eddie and Patty continued chasing Bates down the alley.

In another alley, a cruiser stopped as Patty faced them.

"What do you want us to do, Spivot?" One of the officers asked.

"Die." Bates, impersonating Patty, pulled out a gun and shot the officers before running off.

"Barry, call 911." Eddie said upon finding the officers.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"I know what this looks like, Cecile." Singh said as he, Barry and District Attorney Cecile Horton were watching from the traffic cam footage in the cruiser Patty shooting the officers.

"It looks like one of your detectives shot two of your cops. Both of whom are now fighting for their lives." Cecile said.

"That's not what happened." Singh shook his head.

Cecile sighed. "David, I am the District Attorney. I can't ignore what I just watched because you want me to."

"We both know there are things going on in this city that can't be explained." Singh pleaded.

"Come on, David." Cecile whirled on him. "Until you show me something incontrovertible, the best I can do is promise to keep her out of gen pop at Iron Heights."

She left as Barry and Singh stared.

"Do you have any way of explaining this, Allen?" Singh asked.

"I'm working on it." Barry nodded.

"We'll get that bastard and clear Patty's name." Eddie promised, holding Barry by his shoulder.

Iris entered, looking worried. "Eddie."

"Hey." Eddie smiled.

"Iris." Barry greeted.

"What is going on? Someone called on voicemail, saying Patty shot two cops. How is that possible?" Iris demanded.

"We're not sure yet." Barry said.

"You don't think she did this?" Iris asked.

"Of course she didn't. She's being set up." Eddie said.

"We're gonna do everything we can to help her." Barry vowed.

* * *

"I know how this looks like but I didn't shoot the officers." Patty pleaded, while in the interrogation room.

"The captain certainly pled your case." Cecile said before Barry burst in with a sheet of paper.

"The results of the GSR swab. Detective Spivot's hands are free of lead, barium, and antimony." Barry said as Cecile read.

"Yet no one can seem to explain how the surveillance video clearly Spivot firing her weapon." Cecile argued.

"It only looked like Detective Spivot." Barry insisted.

"You know that there are things in this city that can't be explained, like the Flash." Patty added.

"No." Cecile shook her head before glaring at Barry. "Mr. Allen, aren't you supposed to be the scientist around here?" She walked off as Patty sighed.

"It's not like you can blame her. That footage is quite compelling evidence." She wiped her face.

Barry shook his head. "No, no, we just have to convince her."

"How exactly are you going to refute this?" Patty wiped her face. "I'm done, Barry." She shook her head, looking beaten.

Barry sped her away and outside into the alley. "OK, look. Get to S.T.A.R. Labs. They'll set you with a burner phone. I'll contact you—"

"Barry, no." Patty protested. "If I run, that's definitive proof of guilt."

Barry held her by her shoulders. "Look, you said it yourself. If we don't find Hannibal Bates, you go to prison. For a crime you didn't commit. I'm not gonna let that happen, not again!"

"Barry, this is different." Patty shook her head before holding Barry's shoulders. "Listen, when your Mom was murdered by the Reverse-Flash, you were a little kid, there was nothing you could do. But you're a CSI. You're the Flash. And I believe in you. Now, find Bates and get me out of here, the right way. Please." She gave him a pleading look as Barry nodded before he returned her back into the interrogation room.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

Barry was in Patty's apartment, looking for any evidence he could to clear her name before she entered.

"Patty? What in the world? How did you get out?" He hugged her tightly, kissing her.

"Captain Singh called in a favor. A judge managed to sign my release." Patty explained.

"You should've told me or Joe. Hold on, I'm gonna call—"

Bates, revealing to be disguised as Patty, hit Barry in the face, knocking him out. "I have no idea who he is."

* * *

Bates left Barry restrained in Patty's apartment as he entered the Wests' house, using Barry's ID and keys, looking around before Caitlin entered, oblivious of that it was Bates in disguise, revealing that she had a way of finding out how to stop Bates as Bates followed her.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Caitlin was making a concoction to negate Bates's powers as Bates was flirting with her.

"Barry… what are you doing?" Caitlin asked.

Bates smirked. "Something I should've done a long time—"

"You're with Patty. Are you seriously going to cheat on her?" Caitlin asked.

Bates scowled before smiling. "Oh, Patty is old news. I've always liked you more."

Caitlin clearly had more to say before Eddie entered. "Hey, guys, I think I know how to clear Patty's name." He showed them the footage of Patty shooting the cops before noticing how awkward they were acting. "Is everything OK?"

"Yeah, yeah." Caitlin said.

"I don't know. Seems pretty convincing to me." "Barry" said.

"You sure?" Eddie raised his brows before turning on the footage again. "Patty's right-handed. That should convince Horton to let her go." He growled in anger. "I swear, two people that Barry cared about, got framed, when I get that son of a bitch…"

Bates slowly reached for his gun before he spasmed and fell down as they turned around to see Wells tasing him.

"Wells, what the hell?" Eddie demanded.

"Your observations about the shooter were spot-on, Detective. He was indeed left-handed." Wells gestured at Bates. "As is this man. Our Barry... is right-handed."

Caitlin sighed in relief. "Oh, I knew it." Wells stared as she shook her head. "Never mind."

"We should lock him in the Pipeline and make sure he doesn't get out." Eddie said. "If this is Bates, where's the real Barry?"

* * *

**_Later, Wests house_ **

Later, Eddie and Caitlin found Barry restrained and gagged in the locker, unconscious before they woke him up.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

Barry and Singh showed Cecile the footage of the Flash and Eddie chasing Bates, who had shapeshifted into someone else as Cecile stared in shock.

"Detective Spivot has been released." Singh said.

"I have to admit, this is new territory for me." Cecile said.

"This is new territory for all of us." Singh nodded.

"I certainly don't think the law is prepared to deal with this kind of criminal. Hopefully, we can catch up fast." Cecile said as they were leaving Singh's office. "It's hard to believe we live in a world where this kind of impossible even exists."

"Luckily, it's also a world where the Flash exists." Singh said.

"Uh, speaking of..." Eddie showed Cecile the pile of files in his hand. "…I compiled a list of all the robberies that Hannibal Bates was involved in."

"That's a long list." Cecile said.

"With just as many innocent people whose names need to be cleared." Barry said.

Cecile nodded before looking around as she turned to Barry. "You know, I saw the Flash once."

Barry blinked. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Cecile nodded. "I was on my way to the courthouse. He blew past me. It was just a blur of red and a gust of wind. But it was pretty damn cool."

Barry chuckled before Patty entered, hugging him tightly and kissing him. "Thank you." She could barely keep her tears at bay. "Thank you, Barry."

Barry patted Patty on her back. "I'm always here for you, Patty. Always."

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Bates was later locked up in the Pipeline as he banged on the door, disguised as Patty. "Let me out of here!" He then turned into Caitlin. "Hey, cutie. Wanna let me out of here?"

"Like anyone would be dumb enough to fall for that. Heh." Caitlin snorted.

Wells neared Bates's cell. "I've seen a lot of things that you can become, but... who are you, Hannibal Bates?"

Bates then turned into, much to their shock, a bald man with no eyes. "I… uh… I can't remember." He seemed confused. "I can't remember."

"Well, let's lock up shop. Good night, everyone." Wells drove off as Barry closed the door to the Pipeline.

"What about Dr. Wells?" Caitlin questioned.

"Come here." Barry held her by her arm, dragging her out.

"There's something that you need to see." Patty said.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"This isn't possible." Caitlin stared in disbelief as they were in Barry's lab, staring at the corpse that Joe and Cisco had found outside Starling City.

"Caitlin... I ran the DNA test twice. It's a perfect match." Cisco said.

"This body is the real Harrison Wells." Joe said.

"If this is Dr. Wells, then who have we been working for this whole time?" Caitlin wondered.

"Dr. McGee said that after the accident Wells became a completely different person." Barry said.

"It's because he isn't Harrison Wells at all." Patty added as they stared at the corpse.

* * *

Joe went downstairs, facing Wells at the elevator. "Dr. Wells. You here on business?" He smiled politely.

"Business? No." Wells shook his head. "I came to give my regards to Patty. I'm glad it all worked out."

Joe nodded. "Yeah. A crazy day for her."

"Yeah. Crazy day for us all." Wells said as he drove off before turning around to face Joe. "Oh. Detective, did you enjoy your time in Starling City?"

Joe shook his head. "Not much time for sightseeing. I was working on a case. You used to live there?"

"I did." Wells nodded.

"You ever go back?" Joe inquired.

"No." Wells shook his head as Joe's eyes narrowed. "Too many memories of Tess."

"That's right. I'm sorry." Joe nodded, looking sympathetic.

"You, detective, are one of the few people I know that truly understands that kind of loss." Wells said as Joe scowled. "Iris's mother. You never talk about her, do you?"

Joe frowned before shaking his head. "No. I don't."

"No." Wells sighed. "You and I, detective... are members of a rather exclusive club, I suppose. One whose membership is too expensive." Joe stared. If not for the fact that the man in front of him was an impostor, who had murdered Wells, he might have felt some sympathies for him. "Maybe we should have another drink sometime. Talk about it."

"Yeah." Joe nodded. "Yeah. We should do that."

The elevator dinged and opened as Wells entered and left.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"What are you doing?" Caitlin asked as Cisco was in the Cortex going over the blueprints of S.T.A.R. Labs.

"After the accelerator exploded, I built a 3D model of S.T.A.R. Labs, so I could pinpoint exactly what caused the malfunction." Cisco said.

"And you never ran this test?" Barry inquired.

Cisco looked offended. "Of course I did. I just never had a reason to look at any areas outside of the Pipeline or the Cortex. It's a big building. Lots of places for Wells to hide something."

Suddenly, the computer beeped and one of the areas flashed red as they leaned forward. "What is that?" Barry asked.

"That shouldn't be there." Cisco said as they all looked completely puzzled.

* * *

They walked down the corridor with Cisco holding in his hand some kind of a detector. "I'm picking up more activity… around here." The detector beeped at the wall as Cisco pointed to it. "Tachyons. There." Barry placed his hand on the wall as it opened, revealing something that should not be there at all.

They entered as light turned on, revealing the Reverse-Flash's suit in some glass case on a mannequin.

"Oh, my God." Caitlin breathed out.

"I guess we now know for certain. Wells is the Reverse-Flash." Patty said as Barry neared it before the lights turned on, revealing white room made of some kind of steel but then Barry looked shocked as he turned to the pedestal.

"Guys."

Everyone turned to the holographic newspaper article, headlined " _FLASH MISSING: VANISHES IN CRISIS_ ", dated April 25, 2024.

"What the frak?" Cisco whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that Hannibal Bates was originally on the List in Arrow? Huh. I find it kind of weird they used him later in The Flash.
> 
> Plus, I cut it shorter and before you start thinking that, I'm not saying Iris is at fault for what happened later with Bates getting away, since considering the circumstances, it was understandable from Iris's part and it's not like Caitlin and Wellsobard could tell her who Barry was but frankly, if handled properly, Bates could've been taken down much easier.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	21. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and his friends unravel the secret surrounding Wells and the Reverse-Flash and attempt to set a trap for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"" _Flash missing, vanishes in Crisis. After an epic street battle with the Reverse-Flash our city's very own Scarlet Speedster disappeared in an explosion of light._ "" Barry read.

"Guys. The date." Patty said, looking closely at the article.

"April 25th, 2024." Barry read as the realization hit him. "Guys, when I fought the Reverse-Flash at Christmas, he said that we'd be fighting for centuries.

"Wait, you can't really think that this is from... the future." Caitlin stared in disbelief.

Cisco shook his head as the realization dawned onto them all. "That would mean Dr. Wells, whoever he is, is also..."

"…from the future." Barry finished.

"I have to say, I'm really digging the brighter red suit." Cisco looked closer at the Flash's photo on the news article. "And the white on the symbol, that's dope. Wait a second. Suppose we now change the color on your suit. Will it be because we got the idea from this picture? That would mean we're living in a causal nexus." He gapped. "Wow, this is so trippy. Like "Marty and the Polaroid" trippy."

"Guys." Patty pointed at the name on the byline that kept changing from "JULIE GREER" to "IRIS WEST", then "IRIS WEST-ALLEN".

"Iris West…Allen?" Barry trailed off.

"But looks like it might not be the case." Patty said as the name kept changing.

"Mazel tov?" Cisco shrugged.

" _Hebrew, ancient language of the Jewish people._ " A female robotic voice sounded off in the room, startling them all.

"Uh-uh. What the hell was that?" Cisco demanded.

Barry looked around. "Is someone here? Hello?"

Suddenly, on the pedestal appeared a holographic female head. " _Good evening, Barry Allen._ "

"Uh... Hi. You… you know who I am?" Barry stammered.

" _Of course. Barry Allen. Director of Central City Police. CSI Division._ " The hologram nodded.

"Director?" Barry repeated.

"Someone's got a promotion." Patty quipped.

" _Also known as the Flash. Founding member of—_ "

"What are you?" Barry interrupted the hologram.

" _I'm Gideon, an interactive artificial consciousness._ " Gideon introduced herself.

"A.I. Sick." Cisco said, enthusiastic.

"You know Dr. Wells?" Barry asked hesitantly.

" _Yes._ " Gideon nodded as they all stared.

"Do you know who he really is?" Barry inquired.

" _I don't understand the question._ " Gideon shook her head.

"I mean, what is he doing here? Why did he come here?" Barry asked.

" _To kill you._ " Gideon said as they stared in shock.

Cisco checked his phone. "Wells is in the building."

"How do you know that?" Caitlin demanded.

"I put a tracker on his wheelchair. Which, if we're wrong about him and he is paralyzed, I'm going to hell for that one." Cisco said.

"Barry, we gotta hurry." Patty said.

"He's in the Cortex. Ask questions fast." Cisco said.

"Why did he kill Nora Allen?" Barry demanded.

" _Because he was angry._ " Gideon said.

"About what?" Barry asked, confused.

" _That you escaped._ "

"He's on B level. He's coming this way." Cisco said.

"What does he want from me?" Barry demanded.

" _For you to be the Flash._ " Gideon replied.

"Well, maybe that's why Wells let the particle accelerator explode." Caitlin turned to Barry. "So that you could become the Flash."

"What? That doesn't make any sense, why?" Patty wondered.

"Guys, we gotta go. He's almost here." Cisco said.

"Hurry." Caitlin said.

"All right." Barry said as they were about to leave.

"Wait a second. Wait." Cisco pointed at Gideon, realizing something. "What if HAL over there tells Wells that we were in here?"

"That would be bad." Caitlin said.

"Very bad." Patty nodded.

"If I can get into its operating system, maybe I can disable its memory core." Cisco said.

Barry turned to the hologram. "Uh, Gideon, can you show us where your operating system is?"

" _Certainly._ " Gideon showed them the blueprints as they all realized that their plan to disable Gideon was not going to work.

Cisco laughed humorlessly. "Yeah. Nope, that's not gonna happen."

"Guys, he's in the corridor." Caitlin said, looking at Cisco's phone.

"Uh, Gideon, could you just, like, not tell him that we were here?" Barry asked.

" _Of course. I will accept any command given to me by you._ " Gideon said.

"Barry, we gotta go." Patty said.

"Wait, wait." Barry turned to Gideon. "Why? Why would you accept my commands?"

" _Because you created me._ " Gideon said as they all stared in disbelief before Barry sped them out of the room as it closed and a moment later, Wells arrived, unaware that they had been in his secret room.

* * *

_**Later, Wests' house** _

"Really? For four very smart people, that was really stupid." Joe scolded them all as Barry, Patty, Cisco and Caitlin filled him and Eddie in. "What if Wells had caught you in that...?" He gestured to Cisco, not sure how to call Wells' private room.

"Time Vault." Cisco said.

"Thank you." Joe nodded.

"OK, I know we've seen a lot this past year, but time travel?" Eddie asked, skeptical.

"I did it." Barry said as they all turned to him, confused. "I will do it, I mean."

"Excuse me?" Eddie stared.

"One of the two speedsters in Barry's house the night his mother died was Barry. I mean, the Flash. He was there. Which means that one day in the future, Barry will travel back in time to that night." Cisco explained.

"OK." Eddie nodded.

"Actually, I wasn't talking about that. I kind of… already… time-traveled by accident." Barry said.

"What?" Joe and Patty said in unison, staring at Barry incredulously.

Barry sighed. "I was running to try and stop a tsunami from hitting the city—"

"Wait, when?" Patty asked.

"A few weeks ago." Barry sighed.

Suddenly, Patty snapped her fingers. "That's how you knew where Mardon was."

Barry nodded before turning to Cisco. "Right before you started getting those dreams."

"Oh. You mean the ones where Wells uses his super-speeding hand to shred apart my heart? Those?" Cisco said dryly as he sat down.

"Yes, right. So… what if they're not dreams?" Barry pointed out.

"What else could they be?" Caitlin questioned.

"Memories." Barry said.

"I'm not following." Joe said.

"What if that day, Cisco found out that Wells is Reverse-Flash, and then Wells killed him but when I ran back a day, I changed the timeline so that never happened?" Barry said.

"That doesn't make any sense." Patty shook her head. "If it didn't happen, how can Cisco remember it?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I think the important thing is he does." Barry said. "Guys... I think I've got a really bad idea."

* * *

**_One year ago, Central City General_ **

_"Is he awake?" Iris asked as Patty was outside the hospital room, where Joe sat next to comatose Barry._

_"No change in his condition. And I told Joe to get some sleep too but he doesn't listen to me." Patty sighed as Iris held her hand._

_"Patty, it's gonna be OK." Iris said as she entered. "Dad, it's been three weeks. You barely eat or sleep. You should go home at some point."_

_"Hey, baby." Joe said, picking the cup of coffee Iris handed him. "I'll go home when Barry does."_

_Suddenly, Barry spasmed as the heart monitor flatlined._

_"Oh, God, Barry!" Patty exclaimed as she and Iris neared him._

_"Help, my son's coding!" Joe called out as the doctors entered._

_"They said he was stable! Barry!" Iris gasped. "Oh, my God!"_

_"I need the room. Let's go. I need the room." One of the doctors said, forcing Joe, Iris and Patty out as Iris ran down the corridor._

_"They can't save him." Joe and Patty turned around to see Harrison Wells on the wheelchair. "But I can."_

_"You…" Patty glared._

_"You're that scientist that Barry's obsessed with. The one who blew a hole in the city." Joe sneered._

_"Harrison Wells. Interestingly enough, my facility is the very place I'd like to take him." Wells offered._

_"You're out of your mind." Joe shook his head._

_"Why would we trust you, after what your particle accelerator did to Barry? To God knows how many innocent people in this city?" Patty glared._

_Wells neared them. "Not gonna try and convince you with promises, but, detectives, give me a chance."_

_"We already know what you're capable of, doctor. You hurt a lot of people that night." Joe said as he looked at Barry hurtfully._

_"So those doctors in there, they're good enough?" Wells pointed out as he turned to Barry's room. "Best in the city? Best in the country? Look at them. They have no clue what's going on. They're baffled. The reason for that is what's happening inside Barry is a mystery and they don't have the tools to solve it."_

_"But you do?" Patty raised her brows._

_"That's right." Wells nodded. "Millions of people used to look at my lab, and what did they see? They saw the future." He turned to Joe. "Well, let me take that technology, let me take that know-how into ensuring that your son actually does have a future."_

_Patty turned to Joe. "Joe. I don't trust him… but this may be Barry's only chance." She turned to the doctors trying to revive Barry as Joe considered._

_"Detective. Let me save him." Wells insisted._

_Joe stared at Barry before turning to Wells again. "Then save him."_

* * *

**_Present_ **

"Joe. Joe, are you listening?" Barry said, waking Joe from his thoughts.

"Yeah." Joe said.

"We... we have to access Cisco's memories somehow. Somewhere in his subconscious is the key." Barry said.

"The key to what, now?" Joe asked.

"Getting my dad out of prison." Barry said.

"And how are we going to do that?" Caitlin questioned.

"We're gonna get Wells to confess to killing my mom." Barry said.

* * *

_**Later, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"So this will allow Cisco to see into his dream?" Barry said as Cisco was working on some hi-tech glasses.

"I got the idea from a journal article on lucid-dream therapy. It can be used to help people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder." Caitlin said.

Cisco snorted as he put down his tools. "Heh. Traumatized, stressed, check and check."

"The theory is it will allow people to objectively enter their dreams and face their fears. Still working on the talking part." Caitlin said.

"But are there gonna be some side effects. I mean, it's not gonna fry Cisco's brain or something like that, is it?" Patty asked.

"Oh. The amount of electricity required to trigger lucid dreaming is harmless. Probably." Caitlin assured.

"Who's gonna be lucid dreaming?"

They all turned around, startled to see Wells enter.

"Um..."

"There have been reports of strange sightings ever since the metahumans showed up. Things that people can't comprehend." Patty lied.

"And it's really just a matter of time before psychological issues develop." Caitlin added.

"And lucid dreaming will help the doctors better understand their fears. Intriguing." Wells nodded as he looked closer at the glasses that Cisco had been working on. "Of course, you still need to guide the patient from the outside, right? Direct them to specific aspects of that dream."

"We're still working on a communications interface." Cisco said.

"When we dream, the middle brain lights up with electrical activity, whereas the higher brain remains dormant." Wells neared the computer. "Once we find a way to make both parts of the brain active, then it's just a matter of finding the frequency that will stimulate the language center."

"Then the dreamer could speak." Caitlin realized. "He could describe his dream."

"Exactly." Wells nodded.

"Or her dream. Anyone can use it." Patty added quickly.

"Right, it's not gender-specific. I would try a frequency of 45 hertz to start." Wells suggested.

"Thank you, Dr. Wells." Caitlin said.

"Well, you never cease to impress me, Caitlin." Wells said as he left.

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

After a rather uncomfortable talk with Eddie about him purposing Iris, Barry and Patty met with Cisco and Caitlin in Barry's lab.

"OK, can we go over this one more time?" Cisco asked.

"Yes. You put the glasses on, fall asleep and start dreaming. Not that hard." Caitlin said.

"Except I'm pretty sure I die in this dream. If I go back into it, will I die in real life? I mean, what are we talking about?" Cisco shuddered. "'Inception' or 'Dreamscape'?"

"Here, drink this." Joe offered Cisco a glass of drink.

"What, am I five?" Cisco snorted.

"Just drink it." Joe insisted.

"OK, I'll drink it." Cisco drank the glass.

"You're gonna be fine, Cisco." Barry assured

"OK." Cisco took a breath and laid down, while Caitlin put on him the glasses.

"The glasses are emitting a low-level delta wave, which should help you fall asleep." Caitlin said, setting up the device.

"OK. I gotta warn you, though, usually it takes me a long time. I mean, I'm not saying I'm like an insomniac or anything..." Cisco trailed off as he tilted his head, seeming to have fallen asleep.

"Ah. So that's how you get him to shut up." Joe said as Patty chuckled.

"He's entering REM. It's working." Caitlin said.

"Cisco, can you hear me? You're dreaming, bud." Barry said.

* * *

Cisco was back in S.T.A.R. Labs, reliving the day, when Mark Mardon was out there.

_"OK, I will take Dr. Wells to Jitters so you can do whatever it is you wanna do." Caitlin said, as she left._

"Whoa. Guys. This is mad freaky." Cisco said.

"OK, well, um, where are you?" Barry asked.

"Um... In the Cortex. I mean, I know I'm just dreaming that I'm in the Cortex but… it feels so real." Cisco said, looking around, confused.

"What is dream-you doing?" Barry asked.

"Caitlin just left. I asked her to take Wells to Jitters." Cisco said

"Why would you want Wells out of the lab?" Patty asked.

"I think he might have tampered with my work." Cisco said as they all looked at each other. "I need to check."

_Cisco walked down the corridor of S.T.A.R. Labs._

"OK. OK, I'm walking to the bunker." Cisco then looked at his shirt. "Oh, man. I love this shirt. I thought the dryer ate it."

Joe chuckled, amused as Patty shook her head.

"Focus, Cisco." Barry said.

"OK, OK." Cisco said.

_Cisco was in the room, where was the trap they had set up for the Reverse-Flash._

"All right. Now I'm running tests on the containment system." Cisco said. This data... it doesn't make any sense. All the super-capacitors, they were all still fully charged. There's absolutely no reason that the man in yellow should have escaped." He examined the trap before the Reverse-Flash appeared in the trap. "Oh, my God. It was just a hologram. He tricked us."

Barry, Caitlin, Patty and Joe stared at each other in shock.

_"Hello, Cisco."_

Cisco turned around in shock as he paled, breathing out. "Oh, God. Wells is here."

"Cisco, it's just a dream. He can't hurt you." Caitlin assured, holding him by his shoulder.

Cisco sighed. "You better be right about that."

_"My name is Eobard Thawne." Thawne said._

"Eobard Thawne." Cisco repeated.

"Thawne, like Eddie Thawne?" Joe demanded, all of them shocked again.

_"You killed Nora Allen." Cisco said._

_"It was never my intention." Thawne said._

Barry leaned closer. "Wait, Nora. What about my mom?"

"He's confessing." Cisco said.

"Cisco."

"He... He didn't wanna kill her. It was you, Barry. He was trying to kill you." Cisco revealed, much to Barry's, Patty's and Joe's shock.

"His blood pressure's 200, and his heart rate is 147. Guys, he's losing higher brain function." Caitlin said as they noticed how he was hyperventilating. "Cisco. You're gonna be OK. It's just a dream. You're gonna be OK."

_Cisco stepped back in shock as Thawne was vibrating his hand. "I have grown quite fond of you, Cisco." Thawne said._

"His hand, it's vibrating. He's gonna kill me." Cisco panicked.

"Oh, my God, he's gonna have a stroke." Caitlin said.

"Get him out of there!" Barry ordered.

_Thawne was about to plunge his vibrating hand into Cisco's chest. "In many ways… you've shown me what it's like… to have a son."_

"Help me. Help me, please." Cisco panicked.

"Cait." Barry turned to her.

"Help me!" Cisco exclaimed as he saw Thawne driving his hand through Cisco's chest and then he screamed before he came to, putting down the glasses, breathing out.

"You're OK. It was just a dream. You're OK." Caitlin assured, holding Cisco's shoulder as Barry wiped his face and Joe and Patty stared, startled.

"Oh, God. It felt so real." Cisco breathed out.

"Barry?" Patty turned to him.

"My mom. This was my fault." Barry realized as he sat down before his phone rang and he answered the call. "Hello?"

" _Where are you?_ " Wells said as he paled. " _Barry. Barry, are you there?_ "

"Dr. Wells." Barry said as they all looked at him in shock. "Yeah, sorry, yeah, it's a bad connection right now."

" _Where have you been?_ " Wells asked.

"Why? What's going on?" Barry asked.

" _A fire. A huge fire just erupted._ " Wells revealed.

"A fire, where?" Barry asked.

" _New Brighton. Bradford Tower High-Rise._ " Wells said.

"I know that building. That's where Captain Singh's fiancé works." Joe said.

"On my way." Barry sped off, putting on the Flash suit.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

The Flash was in the upper office level that was completely on fire.

"Dr. Wells, the sprinklers, they're not working." Barry said.

"I see that. Just get everyone out of there, Barry." Wells ordered.

Barry saw the fire around. "No, I can't. I can't save them all. Dr. Wells, please, what do I do?"

"You create a vacuum. Rotate your arms at superspeed. That will create a wind funnel that will suck the air right out of the room." Wells said.

Barry tried to follow Wells's instructions but it didn't work. "It's making it worse!"

"Barry, listen to me. You need to move your arms faster." Wells said. "I believe in you, Barry."

Barry took a breath. He was reluctant to listen to the man, who had murdered his mother but right now, he had no choice. He rotated his arms in superspeed, creating cyclones that extinguished the fire.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry was in the treadmill room, putting on his clothes as Wells entered.

"Mr. Allen." Barry turned around to face him. "Tonight at the fire, I saw hesitation, I saw you doubting yourself. Why is that?"

"I don't know. Uh..." He put on his shirt, trying to avoid any contact with "Wells" to avoid suspicion. "I guess I was afraid I couldn't save everyone."

"Right, but if there is anything that I have learned in our time together, Barry, it is that the only thing standing in the way of you achieving every goal that you set for yourself is you." Wells said as Barry turned to him again. "There is no limit to how strong you will get or how fast you will go. Everything that you need, you already have."

Barry nodded and right now he felt like if he was tasting something sour. "Thank you, Dr. Wells." He was about to leave before turning to him again. "You know... I couldn't have done any of this without you."

Wells nodded. "I feel the same way about you."

* * *

**_Wests' house_ **

"It's so strange. I mean, I look at him now and I know that he killed my mom and he sent my dad to jail but sometimes he's just so kind that, in the moment, I actually like him." Barry said.

"I know. Me too. But you never did." Patty turned to Joe.

"No." Joe shook his head.

"No. Well, at least now we know how to trap him. I mean, in Cisco's dream, he confessed to everything. If we can just recreate those conditions, he'll do it again." Barry said.

"Wow, Barry." Patty sighed. "Taking down bad guys, pulling confessions… that's my and Joe's job. We're the cops."

"If we're gonna get him to confess, it has to be with someone that he truly trusts. Someone he'll genuinely let his guard down with." Barry paced. "He thinks of Cisco as a son."

"Well, then we need to do a better job protecting him than I did protecting you." Joe said.

"I'm not sure what that means." Barry blinked.

"Barry, this is all because of me." Joe said.

"No." Barry shook his head.

"I never should've let Wells take you from that hospital. None of this would've ever happened." Joe said.

"Joe, this isn't your or mine fault, if you hadn't let him take Barry, he would've died in that hospital, you heard what he said that night, there was nothing they could do for him." Patty assured.

"But even then, we both knew something wasn't right." Joe snapped, turning to her. "Everything in my gut was telling me not to trust him and I'm pretty sure you felt the same way, but we did because we were so desperate to see you OK."

"Joe, you can't blame yourself." Patty said.

"Look, every bad thing that has happened to us, all of it... it was him." Barry neared Joe.

"And now we'll make sure he's gonna pay for it." Patty vowed.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Eddie was in the lab, where the trap for the Reverse-Flash was, alongside Joe, Cisco, Barry and Patty.

"So Wells set up a fake showdown with a fake opponent who was never really there?" Eddie realized.

Barry nodded. "He figured if we saw both of them together, it would prove he wasn't the man in yellow."

"This all just keeps getting crazier and crazier." Eddie muttered as Cisco turned off the hologram and Caitlin entered.

"I just talked to Dr. Wells. He's attending a lecture downtown, won't be back until five." Caitlin said.

"Alright, Cisco, you know when he gets here, you need to be working on the trap so he sees you set off the hologram." Barry said and Cisco nodded.

"Hold on, isn't that in your dream when everything went all..." Joe trailed off.

"'Kali Ma,' Temple of Doom, yeah. That definitely happened." Cisco nodded. "But this time, I'm ready for him." He stepped towards the containment unit. "I originally designed the force field to keep a speedster from getting out. But I've reversed it. Now, it won't let one in." He pulled out a remote and turned on the containment field and then gestured for Barry to try get through it.

Barry nodded and gestured towards everyone. "Back up." They stepped back as Barry tried to speed to Cisco but bounced back upon hitting the containment field, crashing towards a toolbox.

"Barry, are you OK?" Caitlin asked as they neared him in worry.

"It works." Barry groaned as he got up.

"OK. As long as I'm inside, Wells won't be able to get near me." Cisco said.

"Caitlin and I will be in the Cortex, monitoring and recording everything that happens." Patty said.

"As soon as we get the confession we need to free my dad, I'm moving in." Barry said.

"So, what do I do?" Eddie asked.

"Wells also threatened Iris. So if something goes wrong here, keep an eye on her until Wells is neutralized." Joe ordered.

"I'll always keep Iris safe, Joe." Eddie promised as he left.

* * *

Caitlin was in the Cortex in her lab, working as she turned around to notice that Wells had entered. "Hello, Dr. Wells. How was your lecture?" She asked with an obviously faked polite tone.

"Oh. Boring, tedious." Wells shrugged.

"Platitudinous?" Caitlin asked, turning to him.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Wells looked around as Caitlin got up. "Um, where...? Where's Cisco?"

"Uh, he is in the bunker. He thinks he finally figured out what went wrong at Christmas." Caitlin said as Wells raised his brows. "You know, when we were trying to catch the Reverse-Flash?"

"Yes, I remember that night." Wells nodded. "Well, did he say what he's found?"

Caitlin shook her head. "Nope, just that it was important."

"Hmm. Good for Cisco." Wells mused. "Um... OK. Well, maybe I'll wheel on down there, see what he's got."

"OK." Caitlin nodded as Wells left before she neared the mic. "Here he comes." She whispered.

Wells stopped at the corridor, suspecting something was off.

* * *

Cisco had turned off the hologram before Wells entered. "Hello, Cisco." He clapped his hands. "You've been busy. You really are incredibly clever, Cisco. I've always said it." He paced around.

"You're him. The Reverse-Flash." Cisco glared at Wells in betrayal. "Joe was right this whole time, wasn't he?"

"Good old Joe. Joe West had his doubts all along. Even from that first night in the hospital, Joe knew something wasn't right. Cops. As inconvenient now as they will be in a hundred years." Wells said.

"Come on, Cisco, we need a confession." Barry whispered, impatient.

"You killed Barry's mother. I want to know why." Cisco said.

"It was never my intention to kill Nora." Wells shook his head. "But from my perspective, she was already dead." He raised his hand, nearing Cisco. "Just happened sooner than it was supposed to."

Barry turned to Joe and Patty, who both shook their heads. "No, that's not an admission." Joe said.

Cisco crawled back as he fell down.

"Oops." Wells said.

"You're not gonna get away with this." Cisco sneered, pulling out a remote.

"I'm not gonna get away with it?" Wells gloated before Cisco turned on the containment field and Wells laughed, impressed. "Oh, you're smart. You're smart, Cisco." He stepped in through the containment field, much to their shock. "But you're not that smart."

Joe went out and on instinct fired at Wells.

"No!" Barry exclaimed, trying to catch the bullets but was unable to get through the containment field. Wells dodged and pulled out his gun, shooting Patty in the hip before one of them shot bullets shot him in the heart as he fell down.

"He didn't confess." Barry breathed out.

"Cisco, are you OK?" Caitlin asked, worried as she neared him.

"Yeah. I'm never ever gonna sleep ever again, but, yeah, I'm OK." Cisco said before nearing Patty, who was holding her wound on her abdomen. "Patty?"

"Just a flesh wound. It just grazed me, I'm fine." Patty assured, trying to stop the bleeding.

Caitlin knelt down, measuring Wells's pulse. "He's dead."

"He didn't confess. This was it." Barry felt his eyes get wet. "My dad's gonna be in prison forever."

"Barry, I'm sorry." Joe said, regretful before suddenly, "Wells" turned into a faceless man.

"Hey. Uh...Whoa! What the hell?" Cisco demanded.

" _I told you this before. I am always one step ahead, Flash._ " Thawne gloated over the P.A. " _Allow me to reintroduce to you Mr. Hannibal Bates... and his incredible ability to transform into any person he touches. I knew that ability would come in handy. I did not expect it to come in handy this soon._ "

"You used him. Like you used all of us!" Barry shouted, betrayal filling them all.

" _He served a purpose. Didn't take much convincing, just the simple promise of his freedom._ " Thawne said.

"You ruined my life, _all_ of our lives!" Barry yelled.

"We stood by you after everything that happened!" Caitlin called out.

" _I can see how this must be difficult for you to understand, but trust me, your lives now are so much better because of what I have done for you._ " Thawne said.

"Drop that act, we know you're not Harrison Wells." Patty called out.

"Just tell us who you are." Joe said.

" _A confession will get you nowhere. You've seen who I am. You know what I can do._ " Thawne said.

"You wanna kill me, go ahead. I'm not gonna fight you. But just tell the police what you did. Get my dad out of prison." Barry begged.

" _I don't want to kill you, Barry. I need you. And..._ " Thawne trailed off. " _I also did not anticipate, as difficult as the past 15 years have been for me, how much I would come to love working with you. With all of you. And yet that does not change what needs to happen. But as for Detective Spivot, well, nothing personal but she needed to be taken out of the equation."_

Patty glared. "Why?"

" _You would never understand. But I'm not done yet._ " Thawne said.

"Then face me now!" Barry yelled.

" _Oh, we will face each other again. I promise you. Soon. Very, very soon._ " Thawne said.

"He's in the Time Vault!" Cisco checked his phone as Barry sped off.

"Barry!" Joe called out.

Barry entered the Time Vault and saw the holographic footages of his house, CCPD and S.T.A.R. Labs, realizing that Thawne had been watching them the whole time, explaining how was he ahead the whole time. "It was all a setup. We thought we set a trap for him, but he set a trap for us." He then saw Iris on one of the footages. "Oh, my God. Iris."

Barry sped into the Cortex as Caitlin had finished bandaging Patty's wound. "You OK?"

"I'm fine." Patty assured.

"We have to find Iris." Barry said.

"Why?" Joe asked, confused.

"Wells has been watching all of us. He has surveillance set up everywhere. Our homes, my lab at the police station, Central City Picture News. Cisco, call me when you have a location!" Barry ordered, putting on his suit as he sped off.

* * *

_**Central City** _

Thawne had interrupted Eddie's attempt to purpose Iris as he was about to vibrate his hand and drive it through Iris before he sped off with Eddie. Iris screamed before the Flash knelt towards her.

"Hey, Iris. It's me, it's me." The Flash assured.

"He took him. The man in the yellow. He took Eddie." Iris breathed out, terrified.

"I promise I will find him, OK?" The Flash assured, vibrating his voice.

"What is happening?" Iris asked, confused as they both got up.

"Listen to me. You go home, you don't say anything to anyone. I swear to you, I will bring him back, all right?" The Flash said.

"Wait..." The Flash sped off as his and Iris's hand sparked for a moment and she felt familiar shock as it hit her and she stared in disbelief. "Barry?"

* * *

The Reverse-Flash had dropped Eddie in somewhere in the sewers as Eddie groaned. "You might as well take that mask off. I know it's you, Wells, or whoever you really are."

" _Well, allow me to introduce myself._ " The Reverse-Flash put down his mask, revealing his face. "My name is Eobard. Eobard Thawne."

Eddie stared in confusion. "I don't understand. Why do you have my name?"

"Why?" Thawne opened the box with the engagement ring and smiled at Eddie as he threw to him the box. "Well, because we're family, Eddie."

"Funny, I haven't seen you at any reunions or weddings." Eddie drawled.

Thawne chuckled. "That is funny, and the reason for that is because as far as those guest lists are concerned, I haven't been born yet."

"So that's why you didn't kill me that night at S.T.A.R. Labs." Eddie realized as a dreadful thought occurred to him. "This whole thing, it's been about me?"

"Not a chance." Thawne shook his head as he knelt towards him. "You, my friend, are simply my insurance."

* * *

**_One year ago, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

_Thawne shook his head as he was at comatose Barry's side. "You look so young." He got up, vibrating his hand, aiming it at Barry's chest. "And I could kill you... right now... so easy." He pulled away. "What I wouldn't have given all those times before to have had you like this." He paced around Barry. "So helpless. But fate... fate's tricky, isn't it?_

_Thawne adjusted the sedative injections. "I come here to destroy you... and then to get home, I have to be the one who creates you." He chuckled as he set the dosage. "But I will say, it's been an education... watching you grow up all these years. Science fairs and soccer games. No hint, no sign, no trace of the man you will be one day." He glanced at Barry. "For whom I have nothing but hate. And to be clear... nothing is forgiven. There will be a reckoning. I promise you, Barry Allen. And you will die." Thawne vowed, glaring at Barry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skipped the most of WestAllen stuff for obvious reasons and I think that I don't need to explain why did Thawne have Bates shoot Patty.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	22. Gorilla Grodd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and the team have to deal with a superpowered telepathic gorilla, while facing with Iris confronting them about knowing Barry's secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

**_CCPD_ **

Singh looked around the precinct as he approached Barry, Patty and Joe. "Where is Thawne?"

"He took some personal time." Joe lied.

"Yeah, uh, Eddie's been going through some stuff, captain." Barry added.

"Some family drama." Patty added, clutching her hip, the wound still not fully healed.

"Yeah, aren't we all?" Singh said dryly. "You got anything on these gold store robberies? Perps hit two more in the last week and we still got nothing."

"We're working on it." Joe said.

"We're just waiting on some final results from the lab." Barry added.

"Yeah, well, pick up the pace. And see if somebody can contact the Flash, maybe he can help speed things up." Singh said as they raised their brows. "You know what I mean. Get going."

He left as Patty turned to Barry. "You got something?"

Barry shook his head. "No. I mean, I've looked everywhere."

"Keep looking." Joe ordered.

"Of course, yeah." Barry nodded.

* * *

Barry was in his lab working on some reports as Iris entered. "Hey."

"Hey." Barry looked at her before putting on his jacket. "Uh, I'm heading out right now. What's up?"

"Something happened. And I'm not supposed to say anything, but I couldn't keep quiet." Iris said.

"What happened?" Barry asked.

"The Man in Yellow, he took Eddie right in front of me." Iris said.

"Oh, my God." Barry tried to act shocked as he placed his hand on Iris's shoulder but she stepped back, clearly uncomfortable. "Are you OK?"

Iris shook her head. "No. No, not at all."

Barry wiped his face. "No, I—"

"The Flash was there. He told me to go home and not to talk to anyone because he would fix it, but he hasn't. I think the police should be out searching for Eddie." Iris said.

Barry shook his head as he picked his bag from the locker. "No, Iris, I—"

"My Dad needs to know the truth." She continued.

"Uh... I think that... the Flash is right." Barry said. "Joe and the cops, they're no match for the Man in Yellow, Iris. They would just get hurt."

Iris stared at him. "So you think the Flash is out there, right now, searching for Eddie?" She asked, skeptical.

"I'm sure he's doing everything he can to find him." Barry assured.

"Yeah, well, I'm finding it pretty hard to trust the Flash right now." Iris sneered.

"Well then, trust me. OK?" Barry saw how disappointed she was. "Look, I'm so sorry about all of this. I… Everything is gonna be OK. I have to go." He left as Iris stared.

"Is everything OK?" Patty asked as Barry entered her car.

Barry sighed. "Iris. She's quite pissed about me not looking into Eddie."

"We're gonna find him." Patty promised. "We have to." She drove to S.T.A.R. Labs.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Hey." Barry and Patty then noticed Cisco working on some cameras as they entered the Cortex. "You planning on keeping all those cameras Wells used to spy on us?"

"What are you, a stalker?" Patty shook her head.

"First rule of mechanical engineering, dude. Never waste good tech." Cisco said as they chuckled before the computer bleeped. "Central City Gold Reserve's under attack."

"Gold?" Barry asked.

"That's the case Singh wanted us to work on." Patty realized.

"I'll be right back." Barry sped off.

* * *

_**Central City** _

An armored assailant with a machine gun shot at the guards before the Flash showed up. "You picked a bad day for this, pal." Suddenly, flashes of doctors experimenting appeared in front of him as the Flash got a massive headache and he fell down, groaning. The thief seemed to stagger on his feet before he ran away.

The Flash stared, puzzled at what happened. "What was that?"

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Your eye movement is normal. No signs of neurological damage." Caitlin said, flashing Barry's pupils with her flashlight.

"Do you think the thief might have been a metahuman who put the whammy on you or something?" Cisco wondered.

"Hey, look, I don't know. When Rainbow Raider got in my head, all I felt was anger." Barry said. "But this was not that. This was... just overwhelming fear."

Cisco examined the footage as he saw the thief staggering on his feet at the same time Barry was dazed. "Huh. Looks like when you went down, the thief got disoriented too."

"Maybe we both got whammied." Barry realized.

"Then you know how it feels." They turned and were shocked to see that Iris had entered. "Hi, Barry. Or should I say the Flash?"

* * *

"Hey. What happened?" Patty asked as she entered before she saw on the monitors Barry in the treadmill room with Iris. "What is Iris—"

"She knows." Cisco said as Patty widened her eyes.

"What? How?" Patty demanded.

* * *

"How did you find out?" Barry asked.

"When I touched the Flash... the other night, I felt a jolt of electricity." Iris said. "The only other time I have ever felt anything like that was when you were in a coma... after the accident." She scoffed. "I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner."

"I can only imagine how angry you are." Barry said.

"I'm not angry, Barry. I'm just disappointed." Iris corrected as Barry nodded, pacing.

"How does Patty know? How long has she known?" Iris asked.

Barry sighed. "Since I woke up. She put it all together."

Iris wiped her face. "Does Eddie know?"

Barry sighed again. "Yes, he does."

"Is that why he got kidnapped?" Iris inquired.

Barry shook his head. "No, I don't know why Wells took Eddie. I—"

"Dr. Wells is the Man in Yellow?" Iris demanded, staring in disbelief.

Barry sighed as she wiped her face. "Everything he's been doing... helping me... it was all a lie. Wells killed my mom."

"Is he gonna kill Eddie?" Iris asked, her voice breaking and eyes getting wet.

"No, he's not. I'm gonna get Eddie back, I swear."

Iris scoffed. "Yeah, the Flash said the same thing."

"Look, Iris, you have to believe me. There were so many times I wanted to tell you." Barry pleaded. "But then everything started getting crazy. And I thought maybe Joe was right—"

"Wait, wait, wait." Iris interrupted him. "You're telling me that my dad knew and he told you not to tell me?"

"He was trying to protect you. We all were." Barry explained.

"Yeah, well, maybe it's time you guys stopped." Iris sneered, getting up before she glared at Patty too.

"Iris—"

"Stop." Iris glared. "I thought we were friends, Patty."

"We are." Patty pleaded.

"Yeah, right now I'm having a hard time believing you." Iris sneered, walking off as Patty sighed.

* * *

**_Later, CCPN_ **

Later at night, Iris was going over the old articles about the death of Barry's mother as Joe entered. "I heard you talked to Barry." Iris ignored him. "So this is what my cold-shoulder treatment feels like." He sat across her. "Look. Baby, the way I went about things, maybe… No, I was wrong. I was just trying to keep you safe."

Iris stared at him. "You know, that excuse is getting really old. First, it was the police academy, and then it was dating Eddie, and now this."

"Sweetheart, you know what the Man in Yellow is capable of. He killed cops. He killed Mason Bridge." Joe said.

Iris stared in shock. "Wells killed Mason?" Joe nodded. "And you're covering that up?"

Joe shook his head. "No. No. No, no, no. If the world finds out about Wells, they find out about Barry. I'm trying to keep him safe."

"Did you ever stop to think that looping me in would keep me safe?" Iris demanded angrily. "That if I knew what was going on out there, I could prepare for it? Maybe I could've helped you and Barry put the bad guys away instead of being in the way."

"Believe me, I ask myself that question every single day." Joe said. "Every time you post something about the Flash on your blog—"

"Dad, it's not just about Barry being the Flash!" Iris exploded as she shot up from her chair. "You know what? If any of you had been honest with me, maybe Eddie would still be here. He wouldn't have gotten involved in this if I hadn't been dating him."

"What are you saying?" Joe asked.

"What I am saying is that what happened to Eddie is your fault." Iris snapped.

"Iris, that's not fair." Joe shot back with a father-like tone that never left any tone for Iris to argue. "Let's say if we had told you that Barry was the Flash. Then what? I mean, what difference would it have made?"

"Dad—"

"Do you even know what Wells is capable of?" Joe demanded as Iris shut up. "He's faster than Barry, he can run through walls and he could put his hand right through your chest and there's no place in this city where he wouldn't have found you or Eddie." He straightened himself, pointing at Iris. "Even if we had told you Barry's secret, what could you have done that would've prevented Wells from kidnapping Eddie?"

Iris opened her mouth and closed it several times but no sound came out as Joe snorted. "That's what I thought." He sighed, wiping his face. "Look, baby, you have every right to be angry at us for not telling you about Barry being the Flash. But don't blame us for something that we had no control over, if we probably would've made no difference if we had tried things differently."

Joe's phone then went off as Singh called.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"I just got a call from Joe. The Central City Gold Reserve is about to transport $300 million in gold bars to their Coast City vault." Barry said as they entered the Cortex.

"According to Singh, the masked guy is gonna try to score his mark with it." Patty said.

"OK, but we still don't know if he's responsible for those weird images you saw." Caitlin said.

"How are they transporting the gold?" Cisco wondered as Barry and Patty chuckled.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

An ice cream truck drove down the road before it hit a landmine and skidded.

"Whoa, the truck just got hit by a landmine." Cisco said.

"Is Joe OK?" Barry asked as he sped towards the scene.

"We don't know yet." Caitlin said.

The armored thief shot down the guards before Joe shot at him as the thief staggered back.

"Freeze! Drop your weapon!" Joe shouted but the thief kept on nearing him. "Don't make me do this."

The Flash sped in, knocking out the thief before turning to Joe. "You OK?"

"Yeah. You?" Joe turned to the Flash.

"I didn't want you to have to shoot him again. And I'm having a pretty bad day." The Flash said.

"So is this guy. Let's see what Goldfinger has to say for himself." Joe lifted the thief's mask before he and Barry stared in shock at seeing his face.

"General Eiling?" The Flash demanded.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Eiling was locked up in a cell in the Pipeline but he was staring like a zombie, as if he was in some kind of a trance, with ruffled hair and a need of shaving.

"What is wrong with him?" Barry wondered.

Caitlin shook her head, not knowing. "I pulled a bullet out of his shoulder…"

"Which should hurt like hell." Joe noted.

"…and it didn't even seem like he felt it." Caitlin finished. "I did a complete body scan, and otherwise, General Eiling is perfectly healthy."

"Then why is he just just standing there like some kind of a robot?" Patty wondered.

"I just got off the phone with A.R.G.U.S. Officially, Eiling is on administrative leave." Cisco said as he entered.

"Unofficially...?" Joe inquired.

"I spoke with Diggle's wife, Lyla, and she said Eiling's been missing for the past three months, and A.R.G.U.S. is covering up for it." Cisco said.

"Around the same time you and Ronnie saved Professor Stein and got him away from Eiling, that makes sense." Patty realized.

"I'm sure they're covering that up too." Barry said.

"So where has he been since then?" Joe wondered before turning to Eiling. "General Eiling, why were you trying to rob the gold reserve?"

Eiling just stared.

"Maybe he's in some kind of a trance?" Caitlin asked.

"General? Do you remember me?" Barry asked.

"Flash." Eiling said but his voice was… deeper. Rougher.

"Wait, how does he know you're the Flash?" Patty wondered.

"I don't know." Barry looked puzzled as he turned to Eiling again. "General—"

"Eiling not here. Eiling... bad." He said, like a three-year old.

"Maybe ifs some kind of psychotic break presenting itself as dissociative identity disorder?" Caitlin wondered.

"Caitlin." Eiling said as she blinked. "Caitlin... good."

"Oh, uh, thank you?" Caitlin said, uncomfortable.

"Mm. Forget multiple personalities. You guys have seen 'The Exorcist', right?" Cisco mused.

"You and your movies." Joe shook his head.

"I'm not sure if it's demonic possession." Patty said.

Joe turned to Barry. "Keep talking to him. He seems to respond to you."

"Uh, why is Eiling bad?" Barry asked.

"Eiling... hurt me. I hurt... Eiling." "Eiling" said.

"OK. Uh, so if you're not Eiling, then who are you?" Barry inquired.

"I... am… Grodd. Fear me." Grodd said as Barry, Joe and Patty looked confused, while Cisco and Caitlin looked alarmed.

"Who or what is Grodd?" Patty wondered.

* * *

In the Cortex, Cisco and Caitlin showed them a footage of a caged gorilla.

"Oh. Grodd is a gorilla." Barry realized.

"Five years ago, Eiling and Wells were working on a project to expand soldiers' cognitive abilities during battle." Cisco explained.

"What we didn't realize is that Eiling was trying to create soldiers with psychic abilities." Caitlin added.

"What do you mean, psychic?" Joe asked with a confused look.

"Eiling was trying to create these super-soldiers with telepathic and telekinetic capabilities." Cisco explained.

"But when Wells found out about the terrible experiments that Eiling was doing, he shut down the project." Caitlin said.

"So our psycho-killer has a soft spot for animals. That's sweet." Joe drawled.

"What happened with Grodd?" Patty asked.

"We… don't know." Caitlin said hesitantly. "After the particle accelerator exploded, I went down to check on him and his cage was empty."

"So he could've been affected by the same energy that hit Barry." Joe realized.

"Not a metahuman. A meta-gorilla." Patty said, shuddering from the thought.

"When the dark matter hit Grodd, all the drugs and serums that Eiling injected him with could've activated. Maybe the accelerator explosion created a meta-gorilla. I think we know what happens when a super-intelligent ape, who's pissed off at humans escapes captivity." Cisco said, enthusiastic.

"Please, don't tell me that apes are gonna conquer the world." Patty groaned.

"Cisco's right. About the first part." Caitlin said, showing them the brain scan on the monitors. "This is the first brain scan that I did on Grodd."

"Whoa. His primary motor cortex and Broca's area are lit up like a Christmas tree." Barry noted.

"From Eiling's experiments." Caitlin said as she showed another brain scan. "And this is the brain scan that I just did on Eiling. His brain is lit up in the exact same way."

"So Grodd and Eiling are connected somehow." Joe deduced.

"I think that somehow Grodd is transmitting neural signals to Eiling's primary motor cortex. Mind control. Telepathy. Who knows what Grodd is capable of now?" Caitlin wondered.

"What do we think Grodd wants? Revenge?" Barry inquired.

"Wells rescuing Grodd and that gorilla showing up at the same time we're looking for Wells is quite convenient." Patty noted.

"Grodd and Wells did have a special bond." Caitlin nodded.

"It wouldn't surprise me if Wells was using Grodd to distract us." Joe said.

"We find Grodd, we find Wells." Patty listed. "We find Wells…"

"…we find Eddie." Iris said upon entering. "And I'm gonna help."

"Know anything about gorillas?" Caitlin asked.

Iris smirked. "I just might." She approached the computer. "There have been reports of some sort of animal down in the sewers."

"Mm. Alligators." Cisco mused as everyone stared at him. "C.H.U.D.'s. R.O.U.S.'s." He closed his eyes, annoyed. "Am I the only one who watches movies around here?"

"Uh, a few months ago, two sewer workers went missing. The search party reported hearing strange, animal-like noises down in the tunnels." Iris read.

"Do you know where exactly did they go missing?" Patty asked.

"Uh, 5th Avenue and 10th Street." Iris read.

"There's an access point to the sewers about two blocks east of that intersection." Cisco said as he sat down.

"I'll start there." Barry said.

"Not alone. We're coming with you." Patty said, turning to Joe.

"Huh. Wading through miles of rats, roaches, and human excrement? Count me out." Cisco shook his head as they shot him a look and he glowered. "Count me in."

"It's your monkey." Joe reminded.

* * *

_**Later, Central City** _

Barry, Patty, Joe and Cisco were walking down the sewers with flashlights and placing flares. "Cisco, take the rest of these flares, light them, drop them as we go. It's our path back." Joe ordered. "Give me that banana." Cisco handed him a banana as Joe took a breath. "OK. Stay close."

"Definitely." Barry said.

"I'm not going anywhere." Cisco said.

"We got your back." Patty said.

"I can't believe I'm down here looking for a supernatural gorilla. I'm terrified of regular gorillas." Joe muttered before they heard something.

"Did you hear that?" Patty asked.

Joe noticed some rats on pipes. "Oh. Oh."

They continued walking down the sewers before Cisco saw some scribbled writing on the walls. "Whoa. Hey, hey, guys. Look at this. Incredible. Looks like we're in the right place."

"Uh, what exactly are we looking at?" Patty wondered.

"Grodd. He's evolving." Barry realized as he saw some more coherent words written and drawings, which apparently described how Eiling had treated Grodd, when he had been caged.

"He's getting smarter." Patty realized.

"Getting smarter. Great." Joe grumbled.

They neared the end of the tunnel before they heard growl as they turned around.

"If I hadn't seen Jurassic Park, I wouldn't be nearly as frightened right now." Cisco muttered as clanging echoed throughout the sewers.

A dreadful idea occurred to Joe suddenly. "So if he's getting smarter, you think he might be getting bigger too?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Patty muttered.

The noise got louder as they paled. "That must have been a truck passing over, right?" Joe asked before they saw a shadow around the corner, causing for Cisco's helmet with the flashlight to fall as he panicked.

Barry fired from his tranq gun into the darkness but he then groaned in pain, seeing visions of Grodd being experimented on as he fell down.

"Barry!" Patty cried out before Grodd showed up, knocking Barry and Patty away.

Joe fired from his shotgun as Cisco neared Barry and Patty. She had recovered as she measured Barry's pulse.

"We gotta get out of here." Joe ordered.

"Barry's knocked out." Patty said. Grodd then showed up from above, grabbing Joe.

"Joe!" Patty and Cisco cried out.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"You're experiencing a spike of activity in your primary motor cortex." Caitlin said as she showed Barry his brain scan. "It's the same thing we saw in Eiling. The images you saw were some kind of psychic attack by Grodd."

Iris sighed, folding her arms and her eyes getting wet. "First, Eddie gets taken by the Man in Yellow, and now my dad—"

"We're gonna save both of them. I promise you." Barry assured her.

"Hold up." Cisco stopped him as Barry turned to him. "I put a tracker in the tranq dart you shot Grodd with. As soon as it activates—"

"Cisco, I can't wait for that. I will search every inch of that sewer if I have to." Barry said.

"But what if you can't find them? You can't beat him, Barry." Patty pointed out.

Caitlin nodded. "Patty's right. What happens if Grodd takes over your mind the same way he did with Eiling?"

Barry sighed. "Can you guys build me something? Some kind of tech so he can't get into my head?"

Cisco shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe if Dr. Wells were here."

"I don't understand." They turned to Iris. "Every day you guys figure out a way to help people. All of the Flash's powers and all of this equipment and you can't save Eddie and my dad?" She left, hurt.

"We'll figure something out. Fast." Barry said before following Iris into the corridor. "Iris."

"I can't get that sound out of my head. My dad screaming." She turned around to face Barry. "Why did he insist on going down there with you? He is always preaching about being safe but not once does he think about running into danger himself."

"Iris—"

"No, Barry, he's just a regular cop. And Patty too? How many times she also got hurt? They're not some metahumans with super powers. They're not you." Iris exploded.

"You're right, he's not me. And this isn't his fault. None of this is his fault." Barry said. "Look, yes, maybe Joe told me not to tell you that I was the Flash but I didn't have to listen. I could've told you. A hundred times I could've told you, and I didn't." Iris shook her head, looking at him in disappointment. "Yes, I should've, so you're right to be mad. But don't be mad at your dad. Be mad at me."

"OK." Iris nodded. "OK, explain to me how the person I thought I knew better than anyone has been keeping secrets from me. Big life-changing secrets." Barry wiped her face. "You were supposed to be my best friend, Barry!"

Barry sighed. "I ask myself that every day. Sometimes I wish I had told you. But what difference would it have made?"

"What difference?" Iris scoffed. "You, the Flash… do you have any idea how many lives you've changed? And all those times I've been in danger and you helped me… maybe things had been different. Maybe we wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

"Or maybe it wouldn't have made any difference at all." Barry said as Iris looked hurt.

"Barry—"

"Iris. I understand that you're angry at me. You have every right to be angry at me. But don't blame me for something I probably couldn't have changed at all." Barry said, his tone losing patience as Iris looked hurt as he sighed. "I'm gonna check on Patty, Cisco and Caitlin."

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"You know they're gonna find me." Eddie said, restrained to the chair as Thawne entered. "And you, you're not as smart as you think you are."

"Oh, really? Because I'm a genius where I come from. Imagine how smart that makes me here." Thawne said smugly.

"Because you're from the future?" Eddie snorted and Thawne nodded. "With a name like 'Eobard', I guess you'd have to be."

Thawne shook his head. "Oh, no. Eobard is a distinguished name for a distinguished member of a distinguished family."

"Depressing to think all of my descendants are as crazy as you." Eddie glared.

Thawne laughed. "No, no, no. The Thawne bloodline is chock full of influential politicians, scientists, captains of industry. Failures, such as yourself…" He jumped down, chuckling at Eddie. "…are just the exception."

"And what exactly makes me such a failure?" Eddie demanded.

Thawne sighed. "Tough question, Eddie. Where to start? Oh, how about your career as a police detective? It's spectacularly uneventful." He patted Eddie on his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, we'll see." Eddie snorted.

Thawne shook his head. "No, we have seen. I have seen. I am from the future. And you are the only Thawne to be all but forgotten by history. A waste of a life, a waste of a man and..." He laughed as he approached his device. "Oh, no. You don't even get the girl. I mean, once I'm done here."

"What are you talking about?" Eddie demanded.

Thawne showed him the holographic news article about the Flash vanishing in the Crisis. "Observe, if you will, the byline." Eddie looked closely to see 'Iris West-Allen' on the byline, then changing to 'Iris West', then 'Julie Greer'. "Barry marries Iris and not you. That is, once I'm going to eliminate one more obstacle. That is… Patty Spivot. She was supposed to be just for a short time around. But… once I take her out of the equation."

Eddie glared, trying to free himself from the chair. "Stay the hell away from Patty. If you hurt her—"

Thawne neared his face inches away to Eddie's. "You'll do nothing. Because you can do… nothing."

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Cisco showed Barry the headset that he had built. "An anti-telepathy strip. It uses magnetic resonance to neutralize any foreign neurological stimulus."

"Is it going to protect Barry from being mind-controlled?" Patty wondered.

"That's the hope. But we have no way of knowing if it actually works." Caitlin said.

"It'll work." Barry assured before the computer pinged.

"The tracker just came online." Cisco said.

"Did you find Grodd?" Patty asked.

"Yeah." Cisco nodded.

Barry put on his suit before nearing Iris, holding her shoulders. "Iris, I promise, I'm gonna do whatever I can to get Joe and Eddie back."

Iris nodded. "Be careful, Barry."

Barry nodded as he sped off.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

"Barry, what's your ETA?" Cisco called out.

Barry stopped at the sewer entrance. "All right, I'm in position."

"Wait for my signal." Cisco said.

Steams burst from the pipes in the sewers as Grodd roared and ran off.

"Hit it." Cisco said.

Barry ran through the city, trying to deliver a supersonic punch as he entered the sewers but Grodd grabbed Barry's fist and threw him away.

"It didn't work." Patty realized.

"Oh. Here we go." Barry panicked before realizing that Grodd was trying to attack him psychically as Grodd glared. "It's OK, Cisco. The headset's working."

" _Yes. OK, uh, try some speed punches on him._ " Cisco suggested.

Barry sped around Grodd, pummeling him but it had no effect. "This isn't working!"

Grodd grabbed Barry by his throat and threw him through a wall as Barry ended on the subway railroad, while the impact destroyed the headset as it fell off Barry's head.

"Barry!" Patty exclaimed.

"Barry!" Cisco called out.

Barry got up and groaned as Grodd attacked him psychically again.

" _Human… weak._ " Grodd said.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Barry's brain activity is off the charts. It's way worse than last time." Caitlin said.

"What's happening?" Iris demanded.

"Grodd's attacking psychically. He's paralyzed." Caitlin said.

"Come on. There's a service train coming." Cisco said.

"Can you stop it?" Patty asked.

"I can't stop the train." Cisco said.

"You have to get out of there now." Caitlin ordered but Barry couldn't listen.

Patty neared the mic. "Barry. Listen to me. Focus on my voice. You're stronger than this. You're stronger than anyone I know. Don't let Wells or Grodd beat you. I believe in you. Barry. Please. Get up and fight."

Barry panted out, remembering the times he had been happy with Patty as he got up. "Patty." He got away from the track and waited until it drove off before Grodd lunged at him but another train in the opposite direction rammed him.

Barry sighed in relief before nearing Joe. "Joe."

"Barry." Joe sobbed. "Please, get me out of here."

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry opened the Pipeline, facing Eiling, who was in his cell. "Mr. Allen. How nice of you to visit. Exactly how long do you intend to keep me prisoner?"

Barry opened the door to the cell. "Your brain scan's normal which means Grodd is no longer controlling you. This prison is for metahumans, so you're free to go." Eiling went out. "You will get what's coming to you eventually." Barry added as Eiling turned to him, unfazed.

"I'm not ashamed of my actions, Mr. Allen. You've seen what these metahumans are capable of. Soon your prison won't be enough." Eiling said.

"Not all metahumans are dangerous." Barry said.

Eiling laughed. "You're afraid that I know you're the Flash?" Barry shifted uneasily as Eiling snorted. "Don't get your tights in a twist. I've known for months. If I wanted to come after you, I'd have done it by now."

"But you think you're gonna need me." Barry pointed out as Eiling was about to leave before turning to him again.

"Harrison Wells turned me over to that beast. He used me like a damn puppet. So like it or not, we have a common enemy, you and I. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a gorilla to hunt." Eiling said before walking away.

* * *

"Maybe it's a good thing we didn't catch Grodd." Caitlin said as they were in the treadmill. "Where would we put him? I mean, the pipeline isn't exactly equipped to hold a super-intelligent, telepathic gorilla."

"Joe mentioned that Grodd called Wells 'father'." Barry said.

"You think Wells sent Grodd after us?" Patty asked and he nodded. "Why?"

"For the same reason why he didn't kill Joe. I think Joe was right. Everything Grodd did, it was just to distract us." Barry said, putting his hands together before turning to Cisco, who looked worried. "What's going on? You OK?"

"Just thinking about this headset. It wasn't strong enough. You could've been killed out there, man." Cisco sat down.

"No, dude, your tech worked. And it proved that we don't need Wells." Barry assured. "The four of us took on Grodd and rescued Joe. Together, we can do anything."

"Actually, it was the five of us." Caitlin pointed out.

* * *

Barry went out before facing Iris, who looked awkward.

"Iris—"

"No." Iris shook her head. "I… I owe you an apology, Barry. I… I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Earlier. I was wrong."

"Iris, I get that you're mad I didn't tell you. But don't blame me for something that I probably couldn't have changed at all." Barry said. "For what it's worth… I still want to be your friend."

"Me too." Iris nodded as he held her shoulder.

"I promise you, I'm gonna find Eddie and I'm gonna stop Wells." Barry promised.

* * *

_**Central City** _

"So now what?" Eddie asked as Thawne finished building his device.

"Now... I have the key." Thawne said as he climbed up the ladder and opened a hatch to the particle accelerator.

"The key to what?" Eddie wondered.

Thawne inserted some energy cylinder into some slot as the lights in the particle accelerator turned on. "Time to go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To an extent, Iris had a right to be angry that Barry had not told her that he is the Flash and that part I understand but her blaming Barry for Eddie being kidnapped by Thawne or Joe by Grodd was stupid and dumb and it's one of the examples, when she unjustifiedly treats Barry badly, which is why WestAllen is an awful pairing, plus, it's not just Barry she treats badly, she later treats Cisco, Caitlin, the Wellses, Joe and Ralph like her lackeys and calls herself the leader of Team Flash, which is stupid, since she had shown no qualities that would make her fit as a leader, plus she has no place in S.T.A.R. Labs, because since when she possesses tech skills almost on Cisco's or Felicity's level or any degree of fighting training, because her fighting Marlize DeVoe was stupid on so many levels.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	23. Dangerous alliances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry realizes that Thawne's plan endangers the prisoners in the Pipeline, forcing him to ally himself with an old enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Iris was sitting at the table in Jitters, staring before Barry entered. "Hey."

"Hey." Iris smiled as Barry sat across her.

"What's all this?" Barry asked as Iris held in her hand a small box.

"Return labels for Eddie and me." Iris explained. "I ordered 200 to start, but this afternoon, 2,000 arrived. I guess I ordered wrong." She looked down, sad. "I have so many now."

Barry gave her an assuring look. "Iris, we're gonna find Eddie."

"How? You've searched everywhere. More than once. And you haven't found anything." Iris said as Barry looked down, and she realized she made him feel guilty. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. It's just.—"

"You miss him, right?" Barry said.

"Yeah, I do." Iris nodded.

"Look." Barry gently held her arms. "Wells took my mom from me. I won't let him take someone from you too." He promised. Barry's phone went off as he looked at it. "It's Cisco. I gotta go."

"Yeah, go." Iris nodded as Barry left.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"I kept asking myself, "Why would Wells pretend to need a wheelchair?"" Cisco said as they were in the Cortex, eying Thawne's wheelchair.

"Sympathy, I suppose." Caitlin shrugged.

Cisco shook his head. "That's what I thought at first. He's the Man in Yellow, the Reverse-Flash. He's much smarter than that. Sympathy can't be the only reason."

"He was misdirecting us. Like with everything else." Patty realized.

Joe nodded. "The last person we'd suspect to be the Man in Yellow is someone who lost the use of their legs."

"That's exactly right." Cisco nodded, putting the wheelchair onto its side. "Which is why I started messing around with the wheelchair. And that's when I found this." He opened a compartment to reveal a glowing device.

They looked closer at the device as Patty narrowed her eyes. "Hey, doesn't that look like…"

"…the tech inside Gideon." Barry nodded.

"I measured the output, and this thing is kicking off serious juice. I mean, we're talking enough to power all of Central City." Cisco said.

Joe raised his brows. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yeah." Cisco nodded.

"What do you think Wells was using it for?" Barry wondered.

"I think this thing is some kind of battery." Cisco said.

"Battery?" Patty asked.

"As in Wells was using it to power himself. To gain more speed. And that's why he's so much faster than you." Cisco pointed at Barry before the alert went off on the computer as Cisco looked at it. "The accelerator, it's been reactivated."

"It can't be." Caitlin shook her head.

"How is that possible? It blew up." Joe stared in disbelief.

"It had to have been rebuilt." Cisco said.

"Wells." Barry realized.

"Even if he did rebuild it, how did Dr. Wells turn the particle accelerator on?" Caitlin questioned as it hit Barry and Patty.

"He's here." Barry said.

"This whole time, he's been inside S.T.A.R. Labs, right below us, that's why we couldn't find him." Patty realized as she and Joe pulled out their guns and went down with Barry.

"Stay here." Barry ordered to Caitlin.

* * *

Barry, Cisco and Joe carefully approached the door to S.T.A.R. Labs as Joe turned to Cisco. "Cisco, what'd you bring that orange soda down here?"

"Whenever something happens with the Reverse-Flash, liquid floats in the air." Cisco explained. "You know, Barry's fish tank, Wells's champagne, Lance's coffee. Remember that?" Joe nodded. "If this does the same thing, we'll know that Wells is in there."

"Do it." Barry ordered as Cisco opened the door to the particle accelerator.

They entered as Joe looked around. "Man. This is big."

Suddenly, Cisco's soda started to float. "Oh, God. Guys."

Suddenly, a red bolt of lightning went out as Barry followed Thawne.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do we do now?" Cisco panicked.

Suddenly, Shawna's cell opened. " _Prisoner release protocol initiated._ "

"Oh, no, no, no." Cisco panicked as Shawna teleported herself behind Joe and Cisco, disarming Joe of his gun and knocking them both down before she closed the door.

"No!" Joe cried out.

Caitlin rushed to the particle accelerator but paled upon seeing Shawna. "Peekaboo." Caitlin ran but Shawna caught up with her, hitting her in the face and knocking her down. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be stuck in that box?" She kicked Caitlin before pinning her to the wall and aiming the gun at her. "Now you're the one who's gonna go into a box. In the ground."

Suddenly, Patty hit Shawna from behind in the head, knocking her out.

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry chased Thawne across the city but was unable to catch up with him.

* * *

_**S.T.A.R. Labs** _

They had locked Shawna up back in her cell as Cisco turned to Caitlin. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I will be, thanks to Patty." Caitlin turned to her.

"Anytime." Patty smiled.

"How do you think she got out of there?" Iris wondered.

"Wells must have released her." Cisco realized.

" _Help!_ " A scream echoed through the Pipeline.

"Wait a sec. Did you hear that?" Joe said.

"I checked all the containment cells. Everyone's accounted for." Caitlin said.

Joe shook his head. "No, no. Listen."

" _Down here! Help._ "

They climbed down the hatch into the sewers to see Eddie restrained to a chair.

"Eddie?" Joe breathed out, nearing Eddie and freeing him from his restraints. "Oh, partner. Oh, my God. I got you."

"Oh, my God. Eddie." Iris neared him. "You OK?"

"Let's get him out of here." Joe said, getting Eddie out before Iris found a box with an engagement ring close by.

* * *

Later, in the Cortex, Caitlin treated Eddie. "Your vitals are normal, but you're just a little dehydrated. The IV should help with that, but drink some fluids and stay off your feet, OK, Eddie?"

"Thanks, Caitlin." Eddie smiled at her before Barry sped into the Cortex.

"Wells got away." Barry panted out. "He was too fast. He's always too fast." Then he noticed Eddie. "Eddie."

"We found him under that hatch in the Pipeline." Cisco said.

Barry neared Eddie with regretful face. "I'm so sorry. I thought I looked everywhere for you."

"Hey, it's not your fault." Eddie assured, glancing towards Patty and Iris. "Sometimes you just can't see the clues, even if they're right in front of you."

"Um, well, you know, all that's important is that we're all safe and back together, right?" Iris placed an assuring hand on Eddie's shoulder.

"Eddie, why'd he take you?" Joe wondered.

Eddie sighed. "I don't know. He said that we're… family. Said his real name is Eobard Thawne."

Joe, Patty, Caitlin and Barry turned to Cisco. "Eobard Thawne. It's just like in my dream."

Barry nodded.

"What else did he say?" Patty asked. "Do you know what is he up to?"

Eddie shook his head. "He didn't say much. Just kept working on some tube."

"A tube? What did it look like?" Cisco asked.

"Metallic and futuristic. He said it was the key to him getting back everything that was taken from him." Eddie explained.

Barry looked confused. "The key? I don't understand. What—"

"I don't know. Look, I just wanna go home. Is that OK?" Eddie sighed, clearly tired.

"Yes. Of course. I'll make sure he gets some rest." Iris said, helping Eddie leave.

"OK." Eddie nodded as they left.

Barry turned to Patty, Cisco, Caitlin and Joe. "What do you think Wells was talking about?" He wondered.

Suddenly, an alarm in the computer went off as Cisco neared it. "Oh, no, no, no."

"What?" Barry asked before Cisco ran out, making Barry feel annoyed. "What now?"

Cisco turned on live camera, showing a metallic glowing tube inside some slot in the particle accelerator as they watched on the monitor. " _Um, are you seeing this? That's the tube Eddie was talking about. It's some sort of power source. That's what's charging up the accelerator._ "

"Can you shut it down?" Barry asked.

Cisco scowled. " _Do you see a power button anywhere on this thing? Dude, this thing is from the future. It's beyond me. I press or touch or cut the wrong thing, I could bring the building down._ "

"OK, how long until it's fully functional?" Barry asked.

" _Best I can tell, 36 hours._ " Cisco said.

"I'm guessing Wells is gonna come back by then." Patty said.

"Why would Wells want the particle accelerator to work again?" Joe wondered.

" _I don't know. It's not like it was such a big success the first time._ " Cisco said.

"It made me the Flash." Barry reminded.

"That's not all it did." Caitlin pointed out.

"What happens if the particle accelerator turns on, and the metahumans are still in their containment cells?" Patty asked as Cisco had returned to the Cortex.

"They're toast." Cisco said.

"We put them there. Now their lives are in danger because of us." Caitlin said.

"Look, I think you all know that Patty and I've never been fans of this arrangement here." Joe said. I thought the whole plan was to rehabilitate them and set them free."

"We've been busy with other metas and Wells." Patty reminded.

"Well, if they stay in there, they die. And if we let them go, they destroy the city." Cisco pointed out.

"We're gonna have to move them." Barry said.

"Move them where? Iron Heights can't handle metahumans." Joe said.

"You're right. But Lian Yu can." Barry said.

"Wait, the island, where Oliver was stranded for five years?" Patty narrowed her eyes.

Barry nodded. "A.R.G.U.S. built a covert military prison on it."

"It's where we sent Captain Boomerang." Cisco said.

"Oliver keeps his worst criminals there. They won't be able to escape. More importantly, they won't be able hurt anybody." Barry explained.

"Great. So, we ship them from one illegal black site to another." Joe grumbled.

"Yeah, I guess so. Yes." Barry said, uncomfortable.

"How are we gonna move them to Oliver's own private Alcatraz?" Patty asked.

"I'll call him. Maybe he can help." Barry said. "And, Cisco, if we do this, nobody can get loose."

"I might have a way of getting them out safely." Cisco said.

"All right, get on it." Barry ordered as Cisco left.

"Barry, there's one big hole in your plan." Patty pointed out. "How are we gonna transport meta-criminals without anyone noticing?"

"Oh, they'll notice." Barry said before turning to Joe. "That's where you'll come in."

* * *

**_Later, CCPD_ **

"D.A. didn't budge?" Patty asked as Joe went out, with Cecile clearly looking angry.

"No." Joe shook his head.

"OK, so A.R.G.U.S. has a transport plane that can take the metahumans to Lian Yu." Barry said.

"All we need to do is to get them to Ferris Airfield." Patty said.

"So, Oliver Queen came through." Joe said.

Barry shook his head. "No, actually. It was not him. Apparently he's in Nanda Parbat. Wherever that is. I don't know." He added, seeing Joe's confused look.

"Barry talked with Lyla Michaels. Diggle's wife. She has contacts in A.R.G.U.S., she agreed to help us." Patty explained and Joe nodded.

"So, what about CCPD giving us an escort?" Barry asked.

Joe shook his head. "Man, it ain't happening. You saw me talking to the D.A. She was very clear." Barry and Patty sighed. "I could lose my badge. I could go to jail. We could go to jail."

"We are protecting people." Barry argued.

"We are, Barry, but Patty, you and I are cops." Joe turned to her. "There's a certain set of rules we need to follow. And this year, I broke all of them. Lying to my boss, ignoring the law. At what point do we become no different than the people we're fighting?"

Patty sighed, knowing Joe had a point.

"We are way different." Barry snapped.

"How?" Joe asked.

"We only break the rules to help people." Barry said, leaving.

* * *

**_Later, Saints & Sinners bar_ **

"Give me another one. Ice cold." Snart told the bartender before turning around, smirking. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the Scarlet Speedster."

"We need to talk." Barry said.

"You want anything? Beer? Food? Pickled eggs here are fantastic." Snart offered as they sat at the pool table.

"No, I'm good. I need your help with a problem." Barry said.

"You must be pretty desperate to come asking for my assistance, but I'll bite. What do you need?" Snart said.

"Help transporting some people out of the city." Barry said.

"How many?" Snart asked.

"Five. Five very bad, very angry people who have powers." Barry said.

"Powers, hmm?" Snart mused. "So you want me to, what, freeze the problem? Protect you from them if anything goes wrong?" Barry nodded as Snart got up. "First rule of business, always protect yourself. I'm not gonna help usher your enemies out of town."

Barry held Snart by his arm. "They're not just my enemies. They're your enemies too."

"I doubt it." Snart sneered.

"They will destroy Central City." Barry countered.

"It's not my problem." Snart shrugged.

"You said you love it here. That this is home." Barry pointed out.

"I do, and it is." Snart said.

"Well, guess what. These people get loose, there won't be a city to love anymore. You won't be able to rob anyone if everybody's dead." Barry said as Snart considered.

"It's a compelling argument. If I'm gonna help you out, I'll need something in return." Snart wrote something on a piece of paper.

"Like what?" Barry asked.

"This." Snart showed him the paper and Barry scoffed, realizing the incredulousness of Snart's counteroffer.

"No. This is impossible. I can't do that." Barry shook his head.

"Then I can't help you." Snart said.

"There has to... Snart, there has to be something you want that I can get." Barry pleaded.

Snart considered. "Let me think about it." He left the bar.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Are you out of your mind? What do you mean, you talked to Leonard Snart?" Joe demanded.

"I asked him for help." Barry said.

"Barry, why would you do something like this?" Patty demanded.

"Because we have already tried everyone else. Look, you tried the C.C.P.D. I tried Oliver. I even tried Ronnie and Dr. Stein." Barry said, gesturing to Cisco and Caitlin. "The particle accelerator goes online in..."

"…sixteen hours." Cisco said.

"Sixteen hours." Barry nodded. "I'm not willing to let the metas die, and we can't let them escape either. So like it or not, Snart, with his Cold Gun is the only one that can stop them if Cisco's transportation does not hold."

"Then lucky for you, I figured out what it is you can get me." They turned to see that Snart had entered. "Hello, Detective West. Patty. Nice to see you again. Caitlin, Cisco. I thought about your proposal." He paced down the Cortex. "You want my help, this is what I want. My fingerprints, dental records, DNA, criminal records, family tree. Everything there is in this world concerning Leonard Snart, I want it destroyed. All of it. At CCPD, online, everywhere."

"The brass on this dude. You really think we'd do that for you?" Joe raised his brows.

Patty shook her head. "You are out of your mind if you think we'll ever—"

"I'll do it." Barry said, much to Patty's and Joe's shock. "If it's the only way, fine."

"Barry. A word with you. Now." Patty said as she, Joe and Barry entered the treadmill room. "Barry, are you insane? You can't just erase Snart's criminal records."

"Yeah, I can." Barry snapped. "And I'll do whatever I have to do."

"Bar, there's gotta be a different way to do this." Joe pleaded.

"OK, then what is it?" Barry stretched his arms. "Tell me what it is, and we'll do it. We're running out of time!" He exploded.

"Barry, after everything that Snart's done, how can you trust him?" Patty demanded.

"You working with that killer? This isn't who you are." Joe said.

"Who I am is the guy who's not fast enough to stop Wells." Barry snapped, nearing Joe and Patty. "He hasn't been one step ahead of us, guys. He's been a thousand. I can't catch him. I can't beat him. What I can do is save those people down there. Wells turned them into what they are and I'm pretty sure he does not care if they live or die. I do."

* * *

**_Central City_ **

Barry sped into the CCPD and uploaded a virus into the computer to erase all digital records about Snart before meeting him and Lisa in an alley with boxes of evidence. "I've deleted everything the C.C.P.D., A.R.G.U.S. and the FBI had on you and sent a virus to erase every digital record of you online." He turned to the pile of boxes. "And this is every single piece of physical evidence the police had."

"Good." Snart smirked before Lisa used her gold gun to melt the boxes.

"I hear we're all going to be working together." Lisa said.

"That's right, sis. Partners." Snart smirked. Deep down, Barry had hoped he was not going to regret it.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"Please tell me this is a joke." Caitlin snapped, glaring at Snart and Lisa.

"Oh. She's quite uptight." Lisa quipped.

"I am not uptight." Caitlin snapped as the Flash shot her a look. "You can't call me uptight."

"Look, guys, we need their help if we're gonna pull this off." The Flash said.

"Why do you have your mask on? Snart already knows who you are." Patty said.

"And I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. That includes my sister." Snart said.

"Jerk." Lisa glared at him.

"Train wreck." Snart smirked at her as Joe and Patty shot him surprised looks. "Don't look so surprised, detectives. I am a man of my word."

"Yeah, you better be, or I'll make sure you're on that damn plane too." Joe said as they all left before Lisa neared Cisco with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, Cisco." She teased.

"Oh, hey, Captain Cold's evil sister." Cisco said, uncomfortable.

Lisa smirked. "Oh. You're not still mad at me, are you? I really did enjoy kissing you."

"Wait, what?!" Patty exclaimed as she and Caitlin whirled on Cisco, staring in disbelief.

"You kissed her?!" Caitlin demanded.

"Under duress. Calm down." Cisco said.

"You know, I've thought a lot about you." Lisa said with a seductive tone.

"Have you really?" Cisco narrowed his eyes as she gave him puppy eyes. "Well, stop. Because this right here... it ain't gonna happen."

"A girl can hope." Lisa teased, leaving, while Caitlin and Patty glared.

"What is it with you and femme fatales, Cisco?" Patty shook her head. "First your crush on Bette, now her…"

"Really not enjoying being one of the good guys this week. Really not." Cisco muttered.

"Hey, dude. Have you figured out a way to get the metahumans to the airport?" Barry asked, nearing Cisco.

"I have, actually. And it's pretty dope." Cisco said.

* * *

**_Later, Central City_ **

The truck with the contained metahumans, with the Flash, Caitlin, Cisco, Joe, Patty, Snart and Lisa, who were riding on bikes drove towards Ferris Air hangar as Snart looked around. "Ferris Air? I thought this place got shut down."

"It did. One of their test pilots disappeared." Barry said.

"Where's the plane? I want this over with." Joe said.

"It should be here any minute." Barry said before turning to Joe. "Look, Joe, I know you don't agree with this—"

"Save it, Bar. I just wanna get it done." Joe waved him off, leaving.

"Your A.R.G.U.S. friends aren't very prompt. Maybe that's why they've never been able to catch me." Snart said.

"Oh. There it is." Joe said.

Snart frowned to see that the plane had landed with no problems.

"Something wrong, Leonard?" Patty quipped as Snart tried to keep a straight face before Cisco pumped into the truck's cargo area sleeping gas, while the A.R.G.U.S. agents apprehended the metahumans and loaded them onto the plane before taking off.

"What's the matter? You thought the metahumans were going to escape?" Barry quipped as Snart seethed.

"Did you really think we'd trust you completely? I checked before we left S.T.A.R. Labs and I know you sabotaged the truck." Cisco said.

"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't arrest you right now." Joe said, pulling out his gun before suddenly, they looked into the sky to see that the plane had exploded.

"Because you've got bigger concerns than me." Snart said.

"You gave me your word." Barry sneered.

Snart chuckled. "It's true, I did. But here's the thing: I'm a criminal and a liar. And I hurt people and I rob them. What did you expect me to do? Not be what I am? I saw an opportunity to turn things to my advantage and I did. Who you're really mad at is yourself. Them escaping is on you."

"Then why don't you just kill us?" Barry sneered.

"Well, I guess you owe me one now." Snart shrugged as he sat on his bike with Lisa. "Good luck with all of this. I'm actually really excited to see how it all turns out."

"You really think we're just gonna let you walk away after how you tried to double-cross us?" Patty glared.

"I think you've got bigger worries than us right now." Snart pointed at the city before driving away.

"Bye, Cisco." Lisa blew him a kiss as they glared at the Snarts.

* * *

**_Later, S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry stared at the Pipeline before Patty entered. "Hey."

"Thanks for not saying 'I told you so.'" Barry said.

"At least it didn't turn out worse." Patty said. "We'll find them."

"I just... Man, I've seen the way that Oliver does things... and he's not afraid to just do whatever it takes... to get what he needs, and I thought that I could do that too." Barry sighed. "I thought I could just use Snart, but instead he almost used me."

"You're not the Arrow, Barry." Patty said. "You're the kind of person, who's trying to move towards the light and not use his darkness to save people. The kind that cares about whether or not those criminals lived or died. Mardon, Shawna, Bivolo and Nimbus may be criminals but they're stull humans. And you knew that letting Wells use them as pawns was wrong. You know what is right or wrong and you were not going to walk in between these sides. That's what makes you different from Oliver." She sat next to him. "No more walks on the dark side, OK?"

"Yeah." Barry nodded before an alarm went off.

"What's going on?" Patty demanded.

" _Guys? The particle accelerator is fully charged and online. Whatever Wells needs it for, it's ready._ " Cisco called out on P.A.

* * *

Barry watched the footage to see Thawne outside S.T.A.R. Labs. "Barry, don't even think about it." Joe said.

"Barry, you can't beat him." Patty pleaded.

"You can't go out there by yourself." Caitlin added.

"Yeah, I can." Barry said before he sped out, facing Thawne.

"Well, I heard your prison transfer didn't go so well. I'm so sorry." Thawne smirked.

"All a part of your plan, I assume?" Barry asked.

"Actually, that didn't factor into my plan at all. But I'm impressed, you went to such great lengths to keep those people from harm. Ever the hero, huh, Barry?" Thawne smirked.

"You've hurt enough people." Barry said.

"I know. You see me as the villain, but, Barry, if you were to look back, look back carefully at everything I've done, every wheel I have set in motion, you would realize I have only done what I had to do." Thawne countered. "Nothing more. Nothing less."

"And the particle accelerator? How does that fit into your grand plan?" Barry demanded.

"Well, why don't you go inside? Let me show you." Thawne offered.

"You know, I just learned the hard way not to trust the bad guy." Barry said bitterly.

"And yet, I've shown you, time and time again, you can't beat me, Barry." Thawne said Suddenly, from above descended Firestorm as Thawne laughed. "Wow. You brought yourself a friend." Next to Barry descended Oliver, now wearing a uniform of the League of Assassins. "Welcome, Mr. Queen." Thawne greeted.

"Hope we're not too late." Oliver said.

"You're just in time." Barry smirked. "I don't care how fast you are, you can't fight all three of us at the same time."

"Oh, I can't?" Thawne said smugly. "Trust me. This… this is gonna be fun." Thawne pulled out his ring, putting on his Reverse-Flash suit as Barry put on his mask, Oliver notched an arrow and Ronnie lighted up his flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frankly, I had to facepalm at the fact that Barry trusted Snart at the drop of the hat, not once thinking about that Snart would somehow double-cross him, like sabotaging the truck, causing for the Metas to escape. Plus, who's to say they wouldn't escape later on the plane anyway somehow? Let's just say that they managed to overpower the A.R.G.U.S. agents in the plane and escape, hence I wrote the plane exploding.
> 
> Plus, while I get why it was done the way it was done, I wish that the fight Barry, Ronnie, Stein and Oliver had with Thawne was included in the Season 1 finale with Barry and Thawne later facing off at the particle accelerator instead of in the penultimate episode, hence that's why I'm going to wrap it all up in the next chapter.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	24. Finish Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After taking down Thawne, Barry gets from his mother's killer a offer that is very tempting and difficult to refusebut comes at a great cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Barry and Thawne rushed at each other, fighting in superspeed, while all Oliver and Ronnie saw were red and yellow circles of lightning, with Oliver trying to get a clear shot at Thawne.

"Move, Barry." Oliver ordered, trying to get a clear shot as Ronnie prepared his flames. "Barry, move!"

Thawne pinned Barry to nearby fence as Ronnie flew up. Thawne threw Barry against the S.T.A.R. Labs sign as glass shattered and Oliver fired, getting Thawne in the leg with two arrows before Ronnie fired a fireball in front of Thawne as Thawne staggered.

"Come on!" Ronnie yelled as he flew towards Thawne but Thawne spun his arm around, creating a cyclone, sending Ronnie flying away.

Thawne pulled the arrow out of his leg as he realized he was losing his speed.

"Nanites, courtesy of Ray Palmer. They're delivering a high frequency pulse that's disabling your speed. You're not gonna be running around for quite a while." Oliver said.

Thawne smirked, turning to Oliver before engaging him. Thawne dodged as Oliver swung his bow. Oliver aimed for Thawne's leg but Thawne dodged before Oliver hit him in the face twice before hitting him in the gut. Thawne landed few blows at Oliver's face but dodged, when Oliver attacked with his bow again but Oliver managed to whack him in the face with his bow as Thawne fell down against the roadblocks stands that collapsed.

* * *

Ronnie had hit a building and was falling down before Barry caught him and panted out as they laid down, tired before Barry sped back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

* * *

Thawne got up on his feet, picking a rebar and attacking. While he lacked any formal combat training, he was still a skilled fighter, getting few lucky hits but Oliver's superior hand-to-hand combat skills gave him an edge. Oliver pummeled Thawne in the face before throwing him down as Thawne was lying on some garbage. Thawne vibrated quickly to phase the nanites out of his body.

As Oliver notched an arrow, Thawne had recovered his speed and got up, pinning Oliver to the ground.

" _The history books say you live to be 86 years old, Mr. Queen. Well, I guess the history books are wrong._ " Thawne said, about to phase his hand through Oliver's chest but Barry rushed at Thawne, throwing him towards dumpsters as Thawne rolled down on the ground.

" _That's the spirit._ " Thawne smirked as he got up on his feet, while Barry stared, seeing how insane he was. " _You can't stop me, Flash. And you never will._ "

Thawne sped up on the rooftop of S.T.A.R. Labs as Barry chased him, with then running in circles on the rooftop. Thawne hit Barry in the hip before Barry punched him in the chest. They ran across the rooftop, exchanging blows before they stopped at the edge.

"Now!" Barry yelled as Ronnie sent a torrent of fire at Thawne and Thawne fell off the rooftop, crashing on a car. Thawne grunted and panted out, recovering as he got up due to his accelerated healing but another arrow with nanites hit him in the back as Thawne fell down, passing out before Oliver, Ronnie and Barry neared the subdued Thawne.

"Thanks, fellas." Barry turned Oliver and Ronnie

"No problem." Ronnie shrugged.

"Nice haircut." Barry noted, turning to Oliver, noticing he was wearing the League's outfit. "And I see we've abandoned our traditional green."

"Trying something different." Oliver shrugged. "Look, I might need a favor from you."

"Wherever, whenever." Barry nodded. Oliver and Ronnie left, while Barry turned to his mother's murderer, celebrating his victory. "I got you."

* * *

Later, Barry faced Thawne, who had been locked up in one of the Pipeline cells.

"What? No Big Belly Burger?" Thawne cracked as Barry stared at him. "It's one of the few perks of living in this time. We're out of cows where I come from." He noticed that Barry just kept staring. "You don't care about that. You have questions. Go ahead."

"I'm not sure where to start. Thawne." Barry said hesitantly. "That is your real name? Eobard Thawne?"

"Since the day I was born." Thawne nodded, pacing down his cell.

"When was that?" Barry inquired.

"136 years from now. This is not what you wanna know." Thawne noted, looking into Barry's eyes. "Go ahead, Barry. Ask it."

"Why did you kill my mother?" Barry asked.

"Because I hate you." Thawne said as Barry saw the pure hate in his eyes. "Not _you_ now. _You_ years from now."

"In the future." Barry realized.

"In a future, yes." Thawne nodded. "We're enemies, rivals, opposites. Reverses of one another."

"Why? Why were enemies?" Barry asked.

"It doesn't matter." Thawne leaned onto the wall of his cell, tired. "It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is neither of us was strong enough to defeat the other. Until I learned your secret. I learned your name. Barry… Allen. And finally, I knew how to defeat you once and for all. Travel back in time, kill you as a child..." He snapped his fingers. "...wipe you from the face of the Earth."

Thawne then turned to Barry again. "But then you, future you, that is, followed me back and we fought. We both landed some pretty solid shots. And then you, future you, got your younger self out of there. I was so mad." He rubbed himself on the back of his head, turning around before facing Barry again, his face full of sadism, all hint of the kind Dr. Wells, who had been his mentor since the beginning, gone as Barry stared at the madman in disbelief.

"But then I thought, 'What if you were to suffer a tragedy? What if you were to suffer something so horrible, so traumatic that your child self could never recover? Then you would no become the Flash.'" He folded his arms. "So I stabbed your mother in the heart. And I was free. Finally able to return to a future without the Flash. Only to realize that in traveling back, I lost my way home. Lost my ability to harness the Speed Force. And without it, I was stuck here, stranded in this time, unable to return to my home, and the only one way back was the Flash. But the Flash was gone, and so I created him."

Barry leaned onto the doorframe, shaking his head in disbelief as he stared at Thawne. "Why train me? Why help me save so many people?"

"Because I needed you to get fast. Fast enough to rupture the space-time barrier and create a stable wormhole through which I could return home." Thawne explained.

"Why would I ever do that?" Barry questioned.

"Because, Barry Allen, if you give me what I want, I'm gonna give you what you want. You can go back and save your mother. You can prevent your father from going to prison. You can reunite the Allen family."

Barry considered for a moment. This offer sounded too good to be true. And how could he trust Thawne, considering that he had played them all before?

"No." Barry shook his head in denial. "No, I don't believe you." He slammed his fist onto the glass, glaring at Thawne with hatred he had never felt before. "I wanna kill you right now." He snarled.

"I know that rage." Thawne said as he looked into Barry's eyes. "I used to feel that rage every time I looked upon you. And now somehow, I know what Joe and Henry feel, when they look on you with pride. With love."

"No." Barry shook his head. "No, don't you _ever_ say that to me." He growled.

"I know you're upset, but I'm giving you a chance." Thawne said, nearing the glass. "I'm giving you a chance to undo all the evil I've done. Don't you want that chance?"

Barry stared before backing off and closing the door to the Pipeline.

* * *

Later, Barry met with Patty, Cisco, Stein and Joe in the Cortex.

"A rare opportunity to go back in time and right a wrong and save your mother's life. Quite the paradox Harrison has presented you with, Mr. Allen." Stein said.

"The chance to be with someone you love?" Caitlin said, standing next to Ronnie. "Seems pretty cut-and-dry to me."

"At first blush, Dr. Snow, it would appear so, but this gift has unparalleled risk." Stein said.

"You mean the butterfly effect." Patty realized and Stein nodded.

"Barry, the night your mother died, the night you saved yourself from being killed, that event altered the timeline you were already on, and changed the course of history." Stein said, nearing Barry.

"So, what you're saying is we're living in a parallel universe?" Cisco realized.

"Just like when I time-traveled before." Barry nodded.

"But he only changed one day that time." Joe pointed out.

"Exactly." Stein nodded. "Now imagine 15 years of compounded experiences. One different decision, no matter how big or small, impacts everything that follows. Moments upon moments, choices upon choices, new relationships." He turned to Barry again, gesturing with his hands. "Nothing would be as it is today, and you'd never know the difference because you'd never remember any of it."

"So if I go back and save my mom, my dad doesn't go to prison. I never live with Joe and Iris." Barry said.

"And you may never meet me, Cisco or Caitlin or Ronnie." Patty realized as she turned to them all.

"Truth is... there's no real way of knowing what your life will be." Stein said.

"There's no choice here, Barry. You have to do this. You gotta change the past." Joe said, much to Barry's and Patty's shock as he picked his jacket and was about to leave before Barry and Patty followed him.

"Joe. So, what, that's it? You think I should just do it?" Barry wondered.

"Yeah, I do." Joe said.

"Look, Joe, I'm not saying that Barry shouldn't save his mother back in the past but _if_ he does it, at what price?" Patty said. "He may never live with you and Iris and his life… it may go down differently than before. He may never meet me, Eddie or anyone else. You sure about this?"

"Barry gets the chance to grow up with both parents. He doesn't have to grow up without a mother." Joe pointed out as he turned to Patty. "If you had Barry's powers, wouldn't you do the same for your father?"

"What about growing up without a father?" Barry asked, giving Joe a pointed look.

"You will have a father. Your real father. Wells has messed with our lives long enough. This is why you became the Flash, Barry." Joe said. "To put things right. You saved a lot of people's lives this past year. Now it's time to save yours."

Joe left as Barry and Patty looked at each other. "What do you think I should do, Patty?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Patty said. "If I had a chance to go back in time and save my Dad… I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't at the very least considering it but… the real question is, 'What's it going to cost? Would it be worth the price?' You might never meet me. And that's what's scaring me."

* * *

**_Later, Iron Heights_ **

"Dad, look, I know this sounds crazy." Barry said, talking with Henry in the visitor room.

"I think we're way past crazy, slugger." Henry said. "Look, you're fast, I get it, but turning back time..."

"I wouldn't be turning time back. I would be going back. To that night, to save her." Barry corrected.

"What does Joe think about all this?" Henry asked.

Barry snorted. "He thinks I should do it."

"No." Henry shook his head, much to Barry's surprise. "You can't."

"Dad... I can make it so that night will never have happened. We'll be a family again." Barry said.

"We are a family." Henry argued.

"Not like this, not without Mom." Barry said with pleading look in his eyes.

"Barry, there's a natural order to things. OK, things happen the way they do." Henry said. "We may not know why at the time, but there must always be a reason. Now, I believe that. I've had to believe it.

"I... I can save Mom." Barry said.

"At what cost?" Henry pointed out. "You said time would change. What if it changes you?"

"Well, I don't care." Barry shrugged.

"I do." Henry said as Barry stared. "I am in awe of the remarkable man that you are becoming. All the things you've achieved, and not just as the Flash but you, Barry, your honesty, your heart. You were always a hero. And your mom would be just as proud." Barry felt his eyes get wet. "And if she had a say in this, if she thought for one second you going back to save her would mean you losing what makes you so special, she would never want that."

Barry was breaking down as Henry continued. "Barry, what I hope for you… maybe the greatest thing that a father can hope for his son, is that one day you will become a father yourself. And then you will know… how much I truly love you." He smiled at Barry with pride.

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

"98.6. Normal." Caitlin said, measuring Ronnie's temperature with her thermometer.

"Don't know what that word means anymore." Ronnie said.

"Me neither." Caitlin admitted. "I know Barry really appreciates you coming back to help him stop Wells."

"That's not the only reason I'm back, Cait." Ronnie said as she raised her brows. "I'm here now, for good."

Caitlin blinked. "But I thought—"

"I thought too." Ronnie interrupted her as he got up. "OK, I thought too much about what might happen if the government tracked us down. If we couldn't control our powers and we hurt someone, if we hurt you. But I realized that, although sometimes, I'm more than one man... I'm not whole unless I'm with you. I love you, Cait."

Caitlin smiled as she and Ronnie kissed before pulling away. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"I am." Ronnie nodded. "Once upon a time and a particle accelerator or so ago…you agreed to marry me."

"Yes, I did." Caitlin smiled.

"What do you say we do that?" Ronnie smiled as she nodded, while they kissed again.

* * *

**_CCPD_ **

Barry was staring outside the window in his lab as Patty entered. "I figured you'd be here."

"I thought this would be a good place to think." Barry said, leaning onto the desk.

"I get that." Patty nodded as they chuckled at each other.

"Hey." Iris said upon entering. "Dad told me what's been going on. I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"No." Barry shook his head.

"So are you gonna do it?" Iris asked.

Barry stared outside the window, considering. "It's just so huge. It's the biggest decision of my life, and if I'm wrong, I can't undo it."

"Why would you want to?" Iris asked. "I mean, you'd get to see your mom again, your dad. Have a great career. Even get married." Barry and Patty turned to her with raised brows. "Eddie told me. Iris West-Allen, huh? I never really thought of myself as a hyphenator. Must be a 2024 thing."

"We don't know that that's gonna happen. I mean..." Barry trailed off.

"I don't wanna believe it either. I mean… we grew up together but… I can't say I've ever felt the same way about you. And I know how much you mean for each other." Iris turned to Barry and Patty. "Do you think that because you lived with us, that's why things are different there?"

"I don't know." Barry said. "I mean… I care about you…" He turned to Iris. "But… we're like brother and sister. Living with you and Joe... I've had a great life, Iris. But it's never been more." He smiled.

"Come here, Barry." Iris hugged him.

"What do you think I should do? I need someone to tell me." Barry wondered.

Iris pulled away. "I think that for once in your life, Barry Allen… you should stop thinking about other people. I think you should do what's in your heart. Do what you need to do for yourself."

* * *

**_S.T.A.R. Labs_ **

Barry entered the Pipeline, facing Thawne, who was still in his cell.

"Ah. Well, if it makes you feel any better, it took you a whole hour longer to decide than I thought it would." Thawne said.

"So how does this work? Your… grand plan." Barry said.

"Well, it's really not that grand at all, Barry. In fact, it's rather simple. We use the particle accelerator." Thawne said.

"The particle acce—" Barry scoffed. "The last time that happened, you caused an explosion that hurt a lot of people."

"This time, the accelerator will operate exactly the way it was designed to. Except instead of two particles moving in opposite directions colliding at the speed of light in the inner ring we're only gonna inject one particle into the accelerator."

"And I'm what it collides with." Barry realized.

"And if you can go fast enough, Barry, if you can hit that particle with enough speed, you will punch a hole right through the fabric of reality." Thawne slammed his fist onto the palm of his hand. "And you will create a portal connecting this time… to infinite times." He gestured around."

"A wormhole." Barry realized.

"Through which one might travel back to the past, say, to the night your mother died, or forward to the future to, say, my time." Thawne said.

"You said _if_ I run fast enough. What happens if I don't?" Barry asked.

"If you don't achieve the desired velocity, Barry… you'll die." Thawne said grimly.

* * *

Barry returned to the Cortex as Stein showed the simulation.

"According to Wells' calculations, Barry super-speeds inside the accelerator ring. Once Barry reaches optimum speed, we then launch a hydrogen proton into the accelerator." Stein explained. "Once the collision happens, a wormhole forms, opening a gateway into time itself. At that moment, I plan on shouting something along the lines of: 'Eureka,' or possibly, 'Excelsior.' I'm uncommitted."

Barry turned to Cisco. "What do you think?"

Cisco sighed. "I mean, on the one hand, it does make a kind of sense. On the other hand, why?" He shot Barry an incredulous look. "Why? Why would you ever consider doing this?

"You know why." Barry said.

"So for this to work, how fast would Barry have to go?" Caitlin asked.

"By my estimates, Mach 2 at a minimum." Stein said.

"You've never gone that fast." Caitlin turned to Barry, worried.

"And if Barry doesn't reach that speed?" Patty asked.

"I'm imagining a bug hitting a windshield. How far off am I?" Joe asked.

"Not very far, I'm afraid." Stein admitted reluctantly.

"Let me worry about how fast I have to go." Barry said before he turned to Cisco. "We're gonna need something else too."

"Really? And what's that? Because I don't know about you, guys, but I'm not at all interested in helping you get yourself killed." Cisco said.

"I need you to build a time machine." Barry said.

"Go on." Cisco said, intrigued.

* * *

Barry and Ronnie followed Cisco into his workshop.

"So if Wells is as fast as you, what's he need a time machine for?" Ronnie questioned.

"Apparently, he lost his speed when he killed my mom. He gets it back sometimes, but only in spurts. He can't fully control it." Barry said.

"So I was right about the wheelchair, he was using it to charge himself." Cisco realized.

"So after I open the wormhole, he's gonna need the ship to travel back to the future. He's been squirreling away the parts." Barry explained.

"Now we just need to put it together." Ronnie said.

"Ronnie, I love you, but this is a time machine, not a bookcase from IKEA." Cisco said.

Ronnie examined the parts. "We got a problem. These tiles, they're made of tungsten."

"Tungsten does have the highest melting point of any other element." Cisco said.

"Yeah, uh, but the dust it generates is flammable." Ronnie explained. "The pressure exerted from the wormhole—"

"Yeah, yeah." Cisco nodded, catching up to his thoughts. "It could cause a hole to be melted into the exterior. It could explode."

"Any ideas?" Barry asked.

"Let me ask Dr. Evil." Cisco said, walking off before he chuckled. "Heh. Which used to be a name that made me smile."

* * *

Cisco was in the Pipeline, showing Thawne the blueprints, while pacing.

"Something on your mind, Cisco?" Thawne asked.

"No. Yes. How did you fit your Reverse-Flash suit into that little ring?" Cisco asked. "Is it some sort of compressed microtech? Or... Actually, forget it. I don't care. Maybe a little."

Thawne shook his head as he looked at the blueprints. "Ronnie's right. I should've accounted for temporal shearing."

"Glad we're still good for something." Cisco muttered.

"I've never underestimated your contribution, Cisco." Thawne assured. "Or Ronnie. As a matter of fact, do you know how many times I wished you were with me as I rebuilt the accelerator? It would've been a lot more fun."

"Yeah? Well, it doesn't change the fact that your nifty little Time Sphere—"

"Oh, is that what you're calling it?" Thawne interrupted Cisco.

"Whatever it's called." Cisco snapped. "It's gonna blow."

"Not if you cement the tiles with a cobalt resin. That'll prevent degradation in conditions of extreme heat." Thawne suggested.

"OK. Fine, we'll try that." Cisco said, about to leave, not wanting to bother with Thawne any more than he had to.

"That's it? That's all?" Thawne asked.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Cisco snapped, whirling on him.

"I don't know, Cisco." Thawne threw the blueprints in the air. "I thought of anyone, you'd be more understanding of my little predicament. I don't belong here. These barbaric… times. It's like living among the dead." He leaned onto the wall of his cell.

"Is that what you told yourself... when you killed me?" Cisco asked as Thawne turned to him, alarmed.

"What? What did you say?" Thawne asked, surprised.

"It was an alternate timeline, one that Barry reset." Cisco explained as Thawne folded his arms, intrigued. "But I never forgot it. It just kept coming back to me. And I can still picture the way you looked at me when you called me a son. And you crushed my heart… with your fist."

"Cisco... I'm sorry." Thawne said, looking at him with sincere regret.

"Yeah, it sucked." Cisco nodded.

"Not for killing you. I'm sure I had a reason. I'm sorry for the fact that you're able to retain traces of another timeline. You're able to see through the vibrations of the universe. It means... I wasn't sure until just now." Thawne said.

"Sure of what?" Cisco asked, nearing Thawne.

"The night the particle accelerator exploded... you were affected too." Thawne revealed.

"What are you talking about?" Cisco shook his head in denial. "No. I wasn't."

"Don't be afraid, Cisco. A great and honorable destiny awaits you now. I only hope that as you're living your great adventure... that you remember who gave you that life. And that it was given out of love." Thawne said cryptically, which Cisco didn't like at all, considering that it was Thawne, who told him that.

* * *

Barry, Patty, Cisco, Caitlin and Ronnie were in the workshop before Stein entered. "We have a problem."

"What?" Barry asked.

"The calculations. There is a danger." Stein explained.

Barry nodded. "I know. I'm ready to take the risk."

"No, not just to you, but to everyone." Stein said as he looked at all of them. "Wells didn't tell us everything. Barry, even if you do reach the right speed, colliding with the hydrogen particle, there is a chance that explosion could create a singularity."

"What's a singularity?" Caitlin asked.

"It's a black hole." Cisco said.

"We could destroy the whole city." Patty realized.

'For starters." Stein nodded. "If we create a singularity here and then cannot control it... we could be looking at a global catastrophe."

"So long, and thanks for all the fish." Cisco said grimly.

* * *

" _Sure, there's a bit of a risk._ " Thawne confirmed as they talked with him through the monitor in the Cortex into the camera into his cell.

"I would hardly refer to possibly causing an extinction-level event as 'a bit of a risk'." Stein snorted.

"Yeah, and your accelerator's been about as reliable as the beater I drove in high school." Joe drawled.

Thawne laughed. " _Let me ask you a question. How many metahumans, how many dangers have we faced this year together? Or did you forget that was me fighting alongside each and every one of you? I have been planning this for almost two decades. It will work._ "

"And how do we make sure we don't open a black hole in the middle of Central City?" Cisco questioned.

" _So once the wormhole stabilizes, Barry will have one minute and 52 seconds to alter the past and return to this time. If and when he does that, you can close the wormhole and we can all live happily ever after. Almost two minutes. More than enough time to save Nora._ " Thawne said.

"But not time enough to stop you from going home?" Barry questioned.

" _Everything's a choice._ " Thawne said.

"What if Barry doesn't have enough time to save his mother? What if he's too late?" Patty pointed out.

" _He won't be. I believe in you, Barry. Always have._ " Thawne said as Barry shook his head. " _So I guess the question is, do your friends and family believe in you as much as I do?_ "

Caitlin turned off the connection as Barry entered the treadmill room, sighing in frustration and scoffing before Joe entered. "So if I don't run fast enough to collide with the particle, then I'm dust. If I run fast enough but I'm not back here in time, a black hole will form, swallow up the city, and possibly the world." He turned to Joe. "Sure you still wanna look me in the eyes and tell me that this is for the best?"

Joe was touching the marriage ring on his finger, reluctant to meet Barry's eyes. "I'd be lying if I told you I did. Truth is I don't... I don't know what to think."

"I thought you were the sure one. I... I was kind of banking on that when I made my decision the first time." Barry argued.

Joe chuckled. "I was faking it."

"Yeah." Barry said.

"Sometimes parents do that. Most of the time, parents do that." Joe said. "Look, of course I'm scared. But I didn't want you to not help your mother because you were worried about me."

"Well, I'll always worry about you, Joe, just like you'll always worry about me. Sorry, but you can't stop that." Barry said, looking unsure. "Do you think I can do this? Do you think I can save my mom? I mean, do you think I'm fast enough?"

"You are." Patty said upon entering. "I know what kind of a man you are, Barry. And I believe in you."

Barry looked down, his eyes getting wet. "You know, I've dreamed my whole life about saving her, freeing my dad... I never thought I'd have to lose another parent to do that or someone else I love."

"Barry—"

"Patty, it's true. It's... it's true." Barry said. "I've always been so focused on everything that I lost that night. But I gained so much too. I... I was born with one father, and that tragedy gave me... another. And I found someone I realized I wanted to stay with forever." He turned to Patty. "And I don't think I can lose either one of you."

"Barry…" Patty sat down next to Barry, holding him by his shoulder. "You'll never be without us. Understand? Never."

Barry nodded.

* * *

Outside S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin was in a bride's dress, with Ronnie wearing a suit, while Barry, Patty, Cisco, Joe, Eddie and Iris were waiting.

"Is this actually binding?" Ronnie asked Stein, who held in his hand the Bible.

"My father made me become a rabbi before he would send me to MIT." Stein said. "This will be legit, as the kids say."

"No kids say that." Ronnie said.

Stein shot him a look. "Let's not fight on our wedding day."

"OK." Ronnie chuckled before noticing Caitlin as they faced each other.

"If it's all right with everyone, I'd like to skip all the Hebrew." Stein said. "I've learned a lot about merging one's life with another this past year. And yet for all the incredible advancements in science we've all been party to... the mystery that brings two people together through love, is still the province of magic." He turned to Cisco. "Mr. Ramon, the rings, please."

Cisco handed them two metal nuts as Ronnie and Caitlin chuckled. Ronnie put the nut on her finger. "I owe you a real ring."

"I don't need one." Caitlin said. "I have everything and everyone that I could ever need right here." She looked at her friends before turning to Ronnie again. "And if all the events of the past year have led us to this moment... it was worth it. I love you, Ronnie."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Stein said.

"Stop telling me what to do." Ronnie joked before he and Caitlin kissed, while everyone applauded.

* * *

Barry was with Patty, Joe, Eddie and Iris, Cisco and Caitlin in the Pipeline as Patty gave him a hug. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am." Barry nodded.

Patty kissed Barry fiercely before she pulled away. "Be careful, OK? And don't die."

"Everything's gonna be fine, Patty." Barry assured.

"OK, there are gonna be three yous back there." Cisco explained. "You from the future, who saved younger you from the Reverse-Flash and now 'you' you." Barry nodded. "Remember, wait until future you gets younger you out of there and then you can go and save your mom."

Barry chuckled. "Piece of cake."

"May the Speed Force be with you." Cisco said.

Barry turned to Joe. "Goodbye, Dad."

Joe hugged Barry with his eyes getting wet. "Goodbye, son."

Barry turned to Iris. "Iris—"

"You don't have to say anything. I'm just glad that you'll be happy." She turned to Patty before turning to Barry again, hugging him. "I hope whatever life you get, it's enough for you that it makes you happy enough."

"You too." Barry nodded, while Iris pulled away, holding Eddie's hand.

"Remember, Mr. Allen, assuming you achieve the proper velocity and open the wormhole, you will only have one minute and 52 seconds to save your mother and return." Stein said over the P.A. "Or else—"

"I know." Barry said as he put on his mask and faced Thawne, who was still in his cell.

"Well… you hold both our futures in your hands now, Mr. Allen. And I know you can do it." Thawne said. "Now… run, Barry. Run."

Barry sped down the particle accelerator as Thawne observed, while observing moments of his past.

_"I was waiting for you to bring Barry home." Young Iris said as Joe entered with young Barry._

Barry was confused to see Caitlin with white hair and blue eyes, shooting icicles from her hand before seeing Flash Museum before seeing CCPD.

_Barry bumped into a young blonde detective as he spilled her coffee on her shirt. "Oh, damn it!"_

_"I'm so sorry!" Barry said._

_"No, no, I should've been more careful. Don't worry. I got a spare shirt in my locker." The blonde said as she smiled at him. "Wait… you're the weird CSI, right? Bart Allen?"_

_"Barry." He corrected as he looked at her badge. "Detective Spivot."_

_"Patty." She smiled._

_"I owe you a coffee too, I guess."_

_"It's fine, really."_

"Barry, what you're seeing is the Speed Force. Your past, your present, your future, all at once. So you need to focus on where you want to go. So think about that night. Think about your mother." Thawne said as Barry saw Sara, Snart and Ray fighting a giant robot before seeing Thawne breaking into Barry's childhood home. Cisco launched the hydrogen particle into the accelerator, creating the wormhole as Barry entered through it.

* * *

**_March 18, 2000_ **

Barry ended back in his childhood home in the moment, when his mother died.

Barry heard Nora and his younger self scream as he peeked out to see his future self and Thawne fighting in superspeed, with Henry trying to intervene. Barry then saw that his future self had noticed him as he shook his head, telling Barry _not_ to intervene.

"Run! Barry, run!" Henry said before future Barry grabbed his younger self and got him out.

Barry looked away with his eyes wet, not wanting to see Thawne murdering Nora. He waited until he heard Thawne leaving and then he went out to see his father unconscious and mother dying on the floor as he neared her. "Hey, hey. It's OK, it's OK. You're OK."

"Please. My husband, my son, are they—"

"They're OK. They're both safe. I promise." Barry assured her.

"Who are you?" Nora asked, looking into Barry's eyes, noticing something familiar about them.

"I'm..." Barry was on verge of tears. "I'm the Flash."

"I don't understand." Nora shook her head, confused before Barry took off his mask as she looked at his face. "You look just like my father."

Barry sobbed. "This won't make any sense... but it's me, Mom."

Nora looked completely confused. "What?"

"It's Barry." Barry said.

"Barry?" Nora looked disbelieved.

"Your Barry." Barry nodded.

"My beautiful boy." Nora sobbed, caressing his cheeks, while Barry sobbed.

"I got a second chance... to come back here and... to tell you that I'm OK." Barry said. "Dad and I are both OK. And we love you, Mom. I love you."

Nora breathed out. "I love you. Oh, my sweet boy. Goodbye. Goodbye, Barry." Barry felt the life ebbing away from her as light left her eyes and she was slowly going limp as she tilted her head, while Barry broke down in tears, sobbing into her chest.

* * *

_**Present, S.T.A.R. Labs** _

"I believe it's time to say goodbye to Harrison Wells." Stein said.

* * *

Joe and Patty aimed at Thawne with their guns as they entered the particle accelerator.

"It's beautiful. Rip Hunter would be impressed." Thawne said as he eyed the Time Sphere. "He built the first one of these. Interesting man."

From the wormhole went out some helmet as Joe, Cisco and Patty stared.

"Now what the hell is that?" Joe wondered.

"That's my cue to leave." Thawne said before turning to Cisco. "Thank you, Cisco."

"Don't ever come back." Cisco said before Thawne turned to Patty.

"For whatever it's worth, Patty, I want you to know, it was nothing personal against you." Thawne said.

"I never want to see you again." Patty sneered.

Thawne got into the Time Sphere as it was floating in the air, about to enter the wormhole. "Home."

Suddenly, Barry emerged from the wormhole, smashing the Time Sphere and knocking Patty, Joe and Cisco down.

Caitlin and Ronnie went down to the Pipeline to shut down the wormhole, while Thawne got up, staring at Barry in disbelief.

"You didn't save her. Why?" Thawne demanded as got up. "Why? You could have had the life you wanted. You could have had everything you ever wanted!"

"I already do." Barry said.

Thawne put on his mask, glaring at Barry. " _Not for long._ "

Thawne cracked his neck as he and Barry rushed at each other, exchanging blows, while Caitlin and Ronnie had shut the power in the Pipeline. Thawne slammed Barry to the wall, pinning him as he was about to phase his hand through him. " _Just so we're clear, after I kill you, I'm going to kill them._ " He pointed at Barry's friends. " _And then I'm going to kill your father. I always win, Flash._ "

Thawne was about to finish Barry off before a gunshot rang out, with Thawne staggering back as Eddie shot himself in the chest.

"No! Eddie!" Iris screamed in horror.

"Eddie!" Joe exclaimed, nearing Eddie, who fell down, bleeding out. "What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?"

"No such thing as a coincidence." Eddie repeated Stein's words as Thawne was spasming.

"What's happening?" Barry demanded.

"Cisco, help me." Thawne said.

"Eddie's his ancestor." Cisco pointed at Eddie and Thawne. "If Eddie dies, he'll never be born, and..." They saw Thawne falling on his knees, his face turning from Wells's into his real one. "He's being erased from existence."

"No! No! Eddie." Iris cried out, rushing to dying Eddie. "Eddie? No, don't. Ed, stay with me, OK? Stay—"

"He was wrong. Turns out I'm a hero after all." Eddie smiled.

"You are, Eddie. You are my hero." Iris said.

"That's all I ever wanted to be. Your hero." Eddie gasped before drawing his last breath, while Iris sobbed. before Thawne turned to Barry, while disintegrating into pieces.

"I've controlled your life for so long, Barry. How will you get along without me?" Thawne gloated before he screamed as he was disintegrated and erased from existence.

Suddenly, a black hole opened, sucking everything in.

"Guys, that's not good!" Cisco panicked.

"Professor, I shut down the wormhole. What's happening?" Caitlin demanded.

"I don't know. You did close it, but it seems to be reopening." Stein said.

"We gotta go." Ronnie said.

"You OK?" Caitlin asked, helping him get out.

"Guys, we need to get out of here!" Patty said.

"I'm not leaving him." Iris sobbed, while still at Eddie's side.

"We have to go now, honey, I'm sorry." Joe said as they ran, while the black hole sucked Eddie's corpse and then it appeared outside Central City in the sky, while they all went out from S.T.A.R. Labs.

"So that's what we didn't want to happen." Cisco realized.

"What's it doing?" Caitlin demanded.

"Feeding. The singularity won't stop, not even after the Earth is gone." Stein said as the black hole was sucking in pieces of buildings, cars and everything it could, while people were running away in panic. "I'm afraid the accretion disc has already assembled."

"What?" Joe demanded.

"Diffused material that's in orbital motion around the singularity." Stein explained.

"What are you talking about?" Patty demanded.

"We have to disrupt the motion. Basically, it's just like the tornado, only upside down and bigger. And scarier." Barry said.

"Barry, that event has an energy level of at least 6.7 teraelectron-volts. It cannot be stopped!" Stein said.

"I have to try." Barry said. He looked at his friends before putting on his mask and rushing up, jumping onto the debris and running around the black hole, trying to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frankly, for someone, who's supposed to be clever, considering that he was from the future, Thawne's reasoning about killing Barry as a child makes him an idiot. Thawne had been inspired by Barry to become the Flash of the future but instead became the Reverse-Flash. If Barry had died as a child or not become the Flash at all, the Reverse-Flash never would have existed in the first place, effectively creating a paradox. Like I said, for someone so clever, Thawne was an idiot.
> 
> So, I hope you liked this story and enjoyed reading it. I'll be honest, I myself wasn't sure at some moments and wasn't much proud of some more dumber moments, such as Axel managing to put a bomb on Barry's arm, which made him an idiot or Iris getting zapped by Barry, which I myself found dumb but I still enjoyed writing this story.
> 
> Stay tuned for the sequel.
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed the story to its end.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


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